252 LESSONS IN AGRICULTURE 



out only the trees that have got their growth, in such 

 a way as not to injure or destroy the younger growth 

 remaining. Young trees are given light, air, and room 

 to grow. The forest floor of rich leaf-mould is pre- 

 served as a means of enriching the soil and holding the 

 moisture. 



The control of the forest. Forestry also teaches the 

 best way of replanting or "reforesting" areas in which 

 the timber has already been destroyed. The respon- 

 sibility for wisely caring for our forests may be laid 

 upon three or four agencies the United States Govern- 

 ment or the state governments, the large private tim- 

 ber owners, and the American farmer. The Forest 

 Service of the United States is doing a great and valu- 

 able service to the people in its wise management 

 of millions of acres of forest reserves in the "Western 

 States; the large lumbermen of the country are doing 

 little to save or use the forests wisely ; it is to the 

 American farmer we must turn with high hopes that 

 he may realize that he is the most important trustee 

 of the nation's wealth of forest resources. 



The farmers' woodlot. Every farmer who has a 

 woodlot, and every farmer ought to have one, may prac- 

 tice the principles of forestry, and thus use his timber 

 wisely. When our country was new, land had to be 

 cleared to make room for the crops. Great trees were 

 cut down and rolled into heaps to be burned. Wood 

 was worth little except for fuel. Now all is changed. 

 The price of wood is high, and is rising higher every 

 year. The farmer who has a woodlot on his land has 



