76 FORESTRY 



the least of these benefits is the protection which the for- 

 ests afford to the water sheds from which are drawn the 

 waters for irrigating the numerous valleys whose cultiva- 

 tion is wholly dependent on this water. Much strong oppo- 

 sition has been met, rising partly from ignorance of the 

 aims and methods of the service, but more often from self- 

 ish interests desiring undisputed possession of grazing, and 

 other resources, and a chance to acquire timber and cut 

 it as they pleased. In overcoming this opposition, Mr. Pin- 

 chot has shown the qualities which Americans most admire, 

 honesty, fearlessness and common sense. National forestry 

 is, under his guidance, making rapid strides toward the 

 attainment of the purposes for which it was designed. But 

 the government has not yet committed itself to the policy 

 of purchasing lands for forest reserves, no matter how 

 pressing the apparent need. The only national forests in 

 the East are found in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota and Ar- 

 kansas, where public lands existed that could be set aside 

 as national forests without purchase. A determined and 

 well-sustained fight has been waged to bring about the pur- 

 chase of mountain lands in the Southern Appalachians but 

 without success. 



State Forestry. 



It is probable that in the East, forestry will be more 

 extensively practiced by state governments than by the 

 nation. 



Already several states have inaugurated the policy of 

 buying lands for forest reserves. New York, the first state 

 to do so, now owns in the Adirondacks and Catskills 1,655,- 

 000 acres obtained largely by purchase. Pennsylvania has 

 bought, or is under contract to buy, 967,000 acres of forest 

 land around .the headwaters of the streams flowing into 

 the Atlantic, and can spend annually $300,000 for this pur- 

 pose. New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts are 



B III 14 



