THE AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS. 



'T^HE Forest Congress held at Washington, 2nd to 6th January, 

 ■*• 1905, is one of the most important steps in the history of 

 the forestry movement in the United States which has been taken 

 in recent years, and its significance is well summed up in the fol- 

 lowing paragraph from the address of the President of the United 

 States, at the session held in the National Theatre, on Thursday 

 afternoon : — 



" The great significance of this congress comes from the fact 

 that henceforth the movement for the conserv^ative use of the 

 forest is to come mainly from within not from without ; from the 

 men who are actively interested in the use of the forest in one way 

 or another, even more than from those whose interest is philan- 

 thropic and general. The difference means to a large extent the 

 difference between mere agitation and actual execution, between 

 the hope of accomplishment and the thing done. We believe that 

 at last forces have been set in motion which will convert the once 

 distant prospect of the conservation of the forest by wise use 

 into the practical accomplishment of that great end; and of this 

 most hopeful and significant fact the coming together of this con- 

 gress is the sufficient proof." 



The delegates, to the number of about four hundred, came 

 from all parts of the United States and Canada also had a good 

 representation. There were present scientific and literary men, 

 business and professional men, those interested practically and 

 those whose interest was theoretical, and ladies also were notice- 

 able in goodly numbers. 



The attendance at the sessions of the Congress was well sus- 

 tained throughout, the hall of the Armories, which will seat an 

 audience of four hundred, being filled on all occasions. The 

 special features of the programme, which illustrate the above 

 quoted statement from the President, were the addresses and pa- 

 pers from leading lumbermen, railroad representatives, mining 

 engineers and other prominent business men. 



The opening Session was presided over by Hon. Jas. Wilson, 



