LESSONS FROM THE FOREST 



55 



is carried on, but under the supervision of trained foresters, 

 who see that all trees cut are closely utilized, provision made 

 for leaving seed trees, and the brush properly burned so as to 

 minimize the danger from fire. In addition to these methods 

 of careful usage, the national government is planting large 

 areas of forest. Altogether, however, in this country we have 

 planted only an area equal to the state of Rhole Island, where- 

 as the area planted to trees should have been one hundred 

 times larger. The forest is a very important contributor to our 

 national wealth, and one of the chief reasons why our nation 

 is so very prosperous is because we have been bountifully 

 supplied by nature with timber. Hence it is the duty of every 

 citizen to see that this great national heritage is not wasted 

 or wantonly destroyed. 



Lumbermen and Fires Have Destroyed Forest and Soil. Courtesy of A. B. Brooks. 



The Forests of the United States. About one fourth of 

 the United States is in timberland. There are two great unlike 

 forest regions, namely the Pacific and the Atlantic regions. 

 All the country east of the Mississippi River was originally a 

 vast forest, of about seven hundred and fifty million acres, of 

 which about 40% has been turned into farm lands. The area 

 to the west, is almost twice as large* and into it stretch, like 

 peninsulas the forest mountain ranges of the Rockies and the 

 forests of the Sierras and Coast Ranges. 



The Atlantic forests are composed of a large variety of 



