1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



rock forms, and geologic features of 

 unusual interest might in them find 

 a proper setting. Here also might be 

 found the subtle influence that nature 

 has on our moral and physical well- 

 being:, the quality of wild places that 

 appeals to many of us in such a 

 strange, intimate way. 



I should not like to convey the im- 

 pression of believing all merely natural 

 scenes and objects to be on that ac- 

 count necessarily beautiful, altho- 

 nature contains so much beauty, not 

 only in detail but even in combination. 

 Neither does it seem to me that the 

 operations of forestry generally re- 

 sult in producing aesthetic effects in 

 the forest. Incidentally, although al- 

 most always unintentionally, certain 

 new forms of beauty may be thus 

 produced. On the whole the forests 

 become stereotyped. Often it is the 

 mere technical excellence of the arti- 

 ficial forest that makes it appear at- 

 tractive in the eyes of the professional 

 forester. 



Our national forest reserves are 

 still to a large extent in a wild, nat- 

 ural state, and it will be many years, 

 in fact, before they shall have become 

 impressed with the stamp of artifici- 

 ality. Fire-scarred and over-grazed 

 as many of them are. careful treat- 

 ment can but improve the appearance 

 which large areas in the reserves pre- 

 sent to-day. And yet there are cor- 

 ners and ridges and valleys in these 

 reserves that would retain a higher 



scenic value by being left untouched, 

 if such a sacrifice were possible. 

 \\ aid it not be possible to combine 

 in each of the proposed special r^ - 

 vations the silvicultural aims and the 

 aesthetic ones? 



Many people are deeply interested 

 in the national forest reserves for other 

 reasons than the material benefits 

 which they will bring. There is. in 

 fact, a very wide popular interest in 

 nature for its own sake. Thi- - 

 shown not only by the decided increase 

 of literature that deals with nature- 

 study in its various forms, but by the 

 tendency to live out of doors and to 

 travel, by the increase of suburban 

 and country homes, the formation of 

 outdoor art associations and the rapid 

 extension and development of public 

 parks. Considering these things, and 

 realizing also that by far the larger 

 part of the forested areas of the United 

 States are held by individuals and cor- 

 porations, and that private owners 

 cannot be expected to relinquish any 

 part of their holdings for special pur- 

 poses from which they can derive no 

 tangible benefit, the question arises : 

 cannot the government reserve cer- 

 tain selected areas, insigficant in their 

 combined extent, for the purposes that 

 have been indicated and as an uplift- 

 ing influence for those that may come 



after us? 



Very sincerely yours. 



G. FREDERICK SCHWARZ. 



