124 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



In (lie development of Hie nation, we have not wanted for natural re- 

 sources; they have been awaiting our use. To aii intelligent audience of 

 scientifically trained men like this it is unnecessary to paint any word picture 

 of our development; to simply ask you to give the subject consideration is to 

 call its evolutionary history to mind. 



Presidents, directors and workers generally, who have cooperative in- 

 terests in iliis organization, all realize from their life's work the importance 

 of economic utilization and conservation. There is undoubtedly no force that 

 has met our nations needs and furthered her real fundamental development of 

 permanency Hum the work of the institutions represented in this organization. 



At the recent National Conservation Congress held at Kansas City, I 

 was particularly impressed with the fact that the men that that organization 

 now falls hack upori for permanency are largely the product that is the out- 

 growth of the work of the Land Grant Colleges and Experiment Stations. 

 Conservation of Natural Resources is a phrase which has sprung up like a 

 mushroom in the night and has emphasized through its popularity and sig- 

 nificance what appeared at the time a new idea. This sudden culmination, 

 1 1 o \\ever, was made possible through the educational conditions that have 

 been constantly at work during recent years together with the psychological 

 i i me in the nation's development. 



RESTORATION VS. CONSERVATION 



In presenting the report from Massachusetts at the recent Conservation 

 Congress, I took the liberty of discussing briefly the following "Restoration 

 vs. Conservation of Natural Resources," and as it is more or less applicable, I 

 beg your indulgence in repeating a part of it: 



Restoration vs. Conservation of Natural Resources. 



"In Massachusetts the work of restoration is even of more importance 

 than conservation when applied to forestry. The annual cut of our forest 

 products at present amounts to only five per cent, of that used each year 

 throughout the Commonwealth for manufacturing, building and other pur- 

 poses. Surely we can and ought to supply a larger amount of our own home 

 grown woods. Although the State has been well cut over, even now our 

 present wood harvests play an important factor in the industries of many 

 of our rural sections. While, we believe thoroushlv in conservation where 



o * 



it will apply, still the more potent force here begins farther back. We need 

 to teach the A B C of restoration in Forestry. When our work of reforesta- 

 tion shall have begun to demonstrate its value, it will be an object lesson, 

 which will mean much toward perfecting a better state forest policy." 



Practical forest restoration, therefore, is what Massachusetts needs most 

 If we will reconvert our hilly, rocky, mountainous, moist, sandy, and waste 

 non agricultural lands generally into productive forests, the future financial 

 success from rural sections of the Commonwealth is assured. This is no idle 

 dream; it can be accomplished. Massachusetts is a natural forest country and 

 all that is needed is simply to assist nature, stop forest fires and formulate 

 constructive policies. Then we can grow as fine forests as can be found 



