MISCELLANEOUS 



28 3 



starts forest fires; he cuts wood so as to expose the forest to the 

 damage of wind, insects, and fungi; he inflicts injury by over- 

 grazing, especially with sheep and goats. Too often he treats his 

 friend, the forest, as if it were a deadly enemy that he is bent on 

 destroying. This attitude is the natural result of the early state 



FOREST LAND IN MINNESOTA LAID WASTE BY LUMBERING AND FIRE 



of affairs in this country. When settlers first came to the New 

 World, it was necessary to make clearings and cut forests. Thus 

 it came about that, "In the old pioneer days the American had 

 but one thought about a tree and that was to cut it down." 



But conditions have changed. For the sake of farming and other 

 interests, we need to preserve forests. This does not mean that 

 trees should never be cut. As other crops , should be harvested, 



