CANADIAN FORESTRY EDUCATION. 



A. H. D. Ross, M.A., Yale Forest School. 



The forest has been aptly described as "the balance-wheel 

 of nature," and the farther we look into the matter the more 

 firmly are we convinced that this is really the case. It is the 

 most highly organized portion of the vegetable kingdom, and 

 its effects upon its environment are extremely important and 

 far-reaching. By a ruthless disturbance of the "balance-wheel," 

 the once powerful Persian Empire has been reduced to a state 

 of pauperism. The destruction of her forests was swiftly 

 followed by the drying up of her streams, the disappearance 

 of her fertile fields, and the shrinkage of her vast population 

 to something less than eight millions of people. Syria, Spain, 

 Turkey, parts of Italy and southern France also know, to their 

 cost, what a disturbance of nature's balance-wheel means, and 

 if we are wise in our day and generation we will heed the teach- 

 ings of history and try to profit by the sad experience of these 

 countries, and do our utmost to preserve the proper balance 

 between our woodlands and the areas cleared for agricultural 

 purposes. 



In all parts of the world the forest was first valued as a harbor 

 for game. Later it was regarded as an impediment to agri- 

 cultural development and relentlessly slashed and burned to get 

 it out of the way. As good timber became scarce it was ex- 

 ploited in the most ruthless manner and vast areas were rendered 

 almost worthless for the production of further crops. Both in 

 itself and in its far-reaching effects upon mankind the forest is 

 marvellously complex and only the most highly civilized peoples 

 have acquired a clear conception of its relation to the future 

 welfare of the nation. By the decay of its resources a nation 

 may cease to exist, and whilst debating over the best methods of 

 disposing of its wealth it may even lose its capital without ever 

 realizing the fact. Only slowly does it seem to dawn upon the 

 public mind that the loss of our forests without adequate restora- 

 tion will be the deadliest imaginable blow to our future progress 

 and prosperity. It is high time that war should be waged against 

 the useless destruction andtieedless waste of our forest wealth, 

 and that provision should be made for future crops of trees. 

 A prosperous nation cannot be built up in a desert, nor on the 

 other hand can a people continue in power and influence when 

 the territory from which they draw their substance shall have 

 receded into barrenness. The standing of a nation is well 



