No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 299 



sources; they have been awaiting our use. To an intelhgent 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 con- 

 sideration is to call its evolutionary history to mind. 



Presidents, directors and workers generally who have co-operative in- 

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

 of economic utilization and conservation. There is undoubtedly no force 

 that has met our nation's needs and furthered her real fundamental de- 

 velopment of permanency more than the work of the institutions rep- 

 resented in this organization. 



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

 I was particularly impressed with the fact that the men whom that organ- 

 ization now falls back upon for permanency are largely the product which 

 is the outgrowth 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 popu- 

 larity and significance, what appeared at the time a new idea. This 

 sudden culmination, however, was made possible through the educational 

 conditions that have been constantly at work during recent years, to- 

 gether with the psychological time in the nation's development. 



In presenting the report from Massachusetts at the recent Conservation 

 Congress, I took the liberty of discussing briefly the subject of "Restora- 

 tion V. Conservation of Natural Resources," and as it is more or less 

 applicable, I beg your indulgence in repeating a part of it: — 



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 5 per cent, of that used each year throughout the 

 Commonwealth for manufacturing, building and other purposes. 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 

 thoroughly in conservation where 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 reforestation 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-agri- 

 cultural 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 anywhere. Germany and many 

 of the countries of the Old World have already demonstrated what can be done. 

 Are we to be less thrifty and "farsighted? Americans do things when they are 

 once aroused, and it is believed that reforestation and the adopting of modern 

 forestry management must be given its due consideration in this State from now 

 on. 



The writer has been delighted in following the interest that has been aroused 

 and the great tendency for all our people to not only welcome and appreciate the 



