INTRODUCTORY 5 



A comprehension of all this, and more, is surely finding 

 a lodgment in the minds of the American people ; and the 

 fact is fast being realized that the thought expressed by 

 President Roosevelt when he declared, in substance, that 

 the forest problem is the most important one before us for 

 solution was not only true in every sense of the word but 

 was timely uttered. The growing shortage of our supply of 

 forest products, the rapidly increasing demands for such 

 products, our cut-over, burned-over, and fast-becoming- 

 barren lands, the disturbed flow of our springs and streams, 

 and the erosion of the soil that is going on in consequence 

 of the destruction of the forests, are conditions patent to 

 all ; and these conditions, though vocally silent, convey to 

 us, in a language that we cannot fail to understand, the 

 importance of action on our part. They all point to the 

 same conclusion, that the forests should be restored at 

 the earliest possible moment. 



The duty of the hour can be summed up in one sen- 

 tence : a supply of forest products must be maintained 

 by properly caring for what forests are left us and by 

 planting others where necessary to meet the demand. If 

 we do not do this the end of our nation's prosperity will 

 soon be reached. Every day's delay adds to the difficulties 

 to be encountered. 



How to care for our forests, how to increase their pro- 

 ductive capacity, and how to grow new ones are, unfortun- 

 ately, problems not so well understood by the people of this 

 country as they should be ; but they must be solved. Few 

 have given the subject more properly the science, for 

 forestry is a science the careful, intelligent study that its 

 importance demands. To the average citizen forestry is as 

 a " sealed book." He knows not what is demanded ; but 

 such lack of knowledge is not to be wondered at. Until re- 

 cently there has not been felt a necessity for its study. 

 Nature had bounteously provided us with all the trees that 

 we supposed we needed, and it has been believed, and still 

 is believed by many, that she can be depended upon to con- 



