344 TEXTBOOK OF BOTANY 



because of the reckless use of her forests. Timber was in 

 great demand as the Pennsylvania coal mines were developed, 

 and the forests were cut but no effort was made to reforest the 

 cutover areas. 



A forest agent was appointed in the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in 1876 ; this agency became a division 

 in 1886, and in 1897 the work had grown to such an extent 

 that a separate Bureau of Forestry was established. In 1891 

 laws were passed making it possible for the President to set 

 aside, from the national domain, forest lands as public reser- 

 vations. 



360. National Forests in the United States. President 

 Harrison set aside the first forest areas, and before the end 

 of his administration more than 13,000,000 acres were es- 

 tablished as forest reserves. President Cleveland added 

 22,000,000 acres of valuable forests. Some land was added 

 during President McKinley's term, but it remained for Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt to establish a definite forest policy. The 

 western part of the United States was carefully studied, and 

 wherever possible forest lands were set aside. These with- 

 drawals were so extensive that at the end of the Roosevelt 

 administration the national forests included almost 195,000,- 

 ooo acres under the control of a body of men trained in most 

 part for forest service. Since 1909 this area has been some- 

 what diminished because of the opening for settlement of the 

 better agricultural lands within the reserves, and at present 

 the national forest areas in the United States, Alaska, and 

 Porto Rico comprise about 185,000,000 acres, including about 

 one-fifth of the national timber supply, and divided into 

 more than 160 national forests. These forests are now open 

 for the widest possible use. The old timber is sold, trees are 

 continually being planted, roads are being built, grass lands 

 within their -boundaries are leased and furnish food for about 

 one-sixth of the meat-supplying animals of the country ; 

 homesteads are found wherever the land is best suited for 



