FORESTRY AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. 



BY 



ALFRED GASKILL. 



THE great World's Fair now open sure to see what he wants of them, for 



at St. Louis affords an opportu- in many cases they are shown side by 



nity to measure the real progress that side with what more particularly be- 



forestry has made in the United States longs to forestry. 



within a decade. At the Chicago Fair, With some exceptions, the exhibits 



in 1893, a comparatively small building are ma ^ e by states, the national and 



served to exhibit the country's forest foreign governments, or by associa- 



interests and their relation to other tions. Few individual exhibitors ap- 



subjects. The building devoted to the pear, unless it be as participators in 



two departments of Forestry and Fish state displays. This, of course, is re- 



and Game at St. Louis covers 4. i acres, grettable, in that it limits the variety of 



and about 4 acres more are given to products and processes that may be 



outdoor exhibits and demonstrations. seen ; it is a distinct advantage in les- 



But too much is said of size at St. sening the purely commercial aspect of 



Louis. Quality does not always keep the show. 



pace with it. This, however, is prob- Some of the exhibits most worthy of 



ably less true of the forestry depart- note are the following : 

 ment than of several others. 



It is an old idea that forestry and EXHIBITS BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



game culture go together, and therefore Get many. In a pavilion, whose cen- 

 not unnatural to find the two combined tral space is occupied by a life-size bust 

 at the Fair. There is an advantage in of Emperor William in hunting cos- 

 it in that the animals, live or mounted, tume, are shown, by means of pictures, 

 serve as attractions to many people, who maps, models, and tools, the technical 

 incidentally get some knowledge of the side of forestry. The maps are copies 

 forestry side ; yet one wishes that irri- of those used by the forest officers. The 

 gation and the interests of the farmers pictures show the character of the for- 

 could be substituted for those of the ests, and the labels on them explain 

 hunters. The latter are often not hunt- what the management seeks and what 

 ers at all, but city people whose ideas it has attained. A model of a broad - 

 of forests and forestry are chiefly of the leaf forest, with trees about 15 inches 

 sentimental or irresponsible kind. The tall and ingeniously constructed of twigs 

 hope of forestry rests more in enlisting and sponges, demonstrates the philoso- 

 the active interest of country people phy of thinnings. Various statistical 

 than in the enthusiasm of city dwellers, charts also are interesting and the library 

 The concentration of effort that is pos- of forest books. This exhibit is espe- 

 sible in populous centers supplies a cially of Prussian forests, their prob- 

 great initial force, but unless the move- lems and practices, and of the two Prus- 

 ment reach those who are directly con- sian forest schools, Eberswalde and 

 cerned, there is no real result. Miinden. It is the only distinctly tech- 

 Inside and around the Forestry, nical exhibit made and is in every way 

 Fish and Game building are many in- worthy of careful study. The uniformed 

 teresting exhibits of animals live, forester in charge speaks English and 

 stuffed, or painted. Aquaria in the likes to answer questions. 

 Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New Jer- Japan. -As in every department of the 

 sey sections show many kinds of fishes Fair, the new world power has an exten- 

 in salt and fresh water. Yet these things sive exhibit in the forestry building, 

 must be passed over; the visitor will be though a large part of it is devoted to 



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