FORESTRY. 



355 



is a subject in regard to which we can take 

 most valuable lessons from them. Whether 

 forests actually increase the amount of rain- 

 Mi may still, possibly, be matter of question. 

 But the favorable action of masses of trees 

 upon health and comfort, and their influence 

 in protecting crops from injury, and thereby 

 increasing the returns of the husbandman in 

 regard to this there can be no longer ground 

 for debate. 



It has been estimated by careful and scien- 

 tific observers that the earth is in the best con- 

 dition to subserve human welfare and comfort 

 only as about a fourth part of the land is in a 

 wooded state. The proportion may be allowed 

 to vary from this somewhat, according to pe- 

 culiarity of situation. England, for example, 

 in a cool, northern latitude and surrounded by 

 water, has such a moist atmosphere that she 

 requires but a small forest area as compared 

 with warmer and inland countries. The forest 

 areas of various European countries, as given 

 by the most recent official statistics, are as fol- 

 low : 



It will be seen from this table that Europe, 

 taken together, has now a sufficient proportion 

 of woodland, and that it is fairly distributed 

 according to the special situation and needs of 

 the different countries. Spain is probably suf- 

 fering most from lack of forests. Russia is 

 well wooded only in the northern portion, and 

 in Sweden and Norway ihe forests are being 

 cut off so rapidly, for exportation, as to cause 

 alarm. 



The forest area of the United States is large 

 enough in itself, but it is unevenly distrib- 

 uted. The northern portion, originally well 

 wooded, and with that most valuable lumber- 

 tree the white pine, has so far been denuded 

 that serious results have already followed. The 

 southern portion of the country is still heav- 

 ily timbered, and much of its wooded area 

 might be taken for agricultural purposes with- 

 out disadvantage to any interest, if a proper 

 selection could be made. But already exten- 

 sive inroads have been made upon the forests 

 of the South, and the process of destruction is 

 going on with rapidity and carelessness. In 



the western portion of the country, with the 

 exception of the Pacific coast-region, there is 

 a great scarcity of forests. There is the great- 

 est need of husbanding what trees are to be 

 found here, and of planting extensively on the 

 prairies and on other sections which are desti- 

 tute, or nearly so, of any tree-growth. Yet it 

 is on this comparatively treeless region that 

 the trees are being destroyed most recklessly. 

 Much of the agricultural land can be cultivated 

 profitably only by means of irrigation. Bat 

 the destruction of the forests is continually 

 lessening the supply of water in the streams 

 upon which irrigation depends. 



It is in this part of the country that the 

 lands still owned by the Government are prin- 

 cipally situated, and the best as well as the 

 most desirable opportunity is offered to put in 

 operation an effective system of forestry. The 

 Government and great corporations are spe- 

 cially adapted to put in operation and carry 

 on such a system of forestry as is needed. 

 Those who hold only small parcels of land can 

 not, if they would, establish a proper system. 

 And where there are small tracts of woodland 

 already existing, or if any shall be planted by 

 individual landholders, there is no certainty 

 that they will not be destroyed at any time. 



We have taken a step in the right direction in 

 establishing the Yellowstone National Park in 

 Wyoming; and the President, in his last mes- 

 sage, recommended that other portions of our 

 woodlands, in which are the head-waters of 

 some of our principal streams, should be pre- 

 served in their forest condition. We may well 

 go further than this Why should not the Gov- 

 ernment preserve all or nearly all its remain- 

 ing woodlands, withdrawing them from sale at 

 least until it can be ascertained, by careful and 

 adequate examination, what portion is needed 

 for agricultural use and can be spared for that 

 purpose, then maintaining the rest in forest 

 condition for the perpetual benefit of the coun- 

 try, and drawing from it at the same time a 

 perpetual revenue? 



The separate States, so far as they still pos- 

 sess lands, might well pursue a like course, and, 

 where they have none, might encourage the 

 landholders to engage in forest-planting. The 

 establishment in some of our Western States 

 of Arbor-Day, or tree-planting day, has been 

 attended with the happiest results. It has 

 already occasioned the planting of many mil- 

 lions of trees. There are in many, if not in 

 most, of the States, considerable portions of 

 land unfit for agricultural purposes, but which 

 would be remunerative if occupied with trees. 

 Most mountain-slopes and high hills are of this 

 sort, as are many tracts of stony and swampy 

 land on lower situations. The State might 

 offer premiums for the best plantations of trees 

 on such ground, or might exempt forest plan- 

 tations from taxation for a certain number of 

 years, until they should begin to yield an in- 

 come from thinnings. As auxiliary to this, 

 experiment stations would naturally be estab- 



