i7 ARBOR DAY 



effects will not be to disturb the suitable relations 

 which should exist between forest and agricul- 

 tural lands." 



Even Japan is ahead of us in the management 

 of her forests. They cover an area of about 

 29,000,000 acres. The feudal lords valued the 

 woodlands, and enacted vigorous protective laws; 

 and when, in the latest civil war, the Mikado gov- 

 ernment destroyed the feudal system, it declared the 

 forests that had belonged to the feudal lords to be 

 the property of the state, promulgated a forest law 

 binding on the whole kingdom, and founded a school 

 of forestry in Tokio. The forest service does not 

 rest satisfied with the present proportion of wood- 

 land, but looks to planting the best forest trees it 

 can find in any country, if likely to be useful and to 

 thrive in Japan. 



In India systematic forest management was 

 begun about forty years ago, under difficulties 

 presented by the character of the country, the prev- 

 alence of running fires, opposition from lumbermen, 

 settlers, etc. not unlike those which confront 

 us now. Of the total area of government forests, 

 perhaps 70,000,000 acres, 55,000,000 acres have 

 been brought under the control of the forestry 

 department a larger area than that of all our 

 national parks and reservations. The chief aims 

 of the administration are effective protection of the 

 forests from fire, an efficient system of regeneration 



