THE PERIOD OF BEGINNINGS 35 



tornia, Professor J. S. Newberry and Lewis Morgan of New York, 

 *rofessor William H. Brewer of New Haven, Charles Whittlesby of 

 !)leveland, Ohio, and Professor E. W. Hilgard of Ann Arbor. At a 

 )reliminary meeting in Boston, a sub-committee composed of George 

 Emerson and F. B. Hough was appointed to give personal atten- 

 kion to the matter. After much deliberation and consultation with sev- 

 eral members of Congress, with the Secretary of the Interior, the 

 Commissioner of the Land Office, and even with the President, this sub- 

 committee adopted a memorial to Congress, calling for a commission 

 of inquiry. The response to this memorial will be noted later. (See 

 page 42.) 



EARLY INTEREST IN TIMBER CULTURE 



It may seem strange that interest should have developed regarding 

 the planting of new trees before there was any general interest in the 

 preservation of forests already grown ; but without doubt the matter 

 of tree planting was of greater interest in the early seventies than any 

 other subject relating to forestry. 



In forested states and regions, interest in timber protection was 

 naturally slow to develop. In those sections of the country where most 

 of the timber was gone, as for instance in New England, considerable 

 interest had arisen, but even here forest preservation occupied a less 

 conspicuous place than forest planting, in the minds of many conser- 

 vationists. Thus the prizes offered by the Massachusetts Society for 

 the Promotion of Agriculture very early in the century, were for 

 forest plantations, not for conspicuous service in the preservation of 

 forests. R. U. Piper's appeal referred to above was mainly for the 

 planting of trees rather than for protection. So also was the appeal 

 of Commissioner Wilson, and the most of the agitation during the 

 early period. 



In forested regions where a large supply of timber still existed, as 

 for instance in the West and in some parts of the Lake states, there 

 was, of course, very little general interest in forest preservation ; and 

 even where the supply of timber was observed to be disappearing 

 rapidly and some public interest was aroused, timber companies were 

 strong enough politically to block any important protective legisla- 

 tion. Furthermore, much of the forest land still belonged to the Fed- 



