300 



Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1915. 



From the excess of destruction arose 

 the necessity of conservation and 

 modern forest management. 



In the 18th century there were 

 numerous complaints in Switzerland 

 of the devastation of the forests and 

 the damage done by floods. The fear 

 of a scarcity of wood increased and 

 severe laws were passed but without 

 result. Some judicious efforts were 

 however made to remedy the situa- 

 tion. But there were many factors 

 that rendered improvement very 

 difficult. There was the lack of poli- 

 tical cohesion in Switzerland, the 

 jealousy between the municipalities, 

 and the complete license of the 

 mountaineers in the exploitation of 

 the forests. All these reasons, add- 

 ed to by the increase of the popula- 

 tion, were likely to bring about the 

 ruin of the forests. The organiza- 

 tion for supervision and control was 

 wanting. 



The remedy came from the excess 

 of the evil. The public, alarmed, de- 

 sired measures which would put an 

 end to the depredations committed 

 and thus commenced a campaign by 

 means of which it was sought to 

 arouse the public by informing them 

 of the situation and the remedies 

 necessary. 



Beginning of Reforms. 



The work was taken up by several 

 societies among the leading ones be- 

 ing the Economic Society of the 

 Canton of Berne and the Society of 

 Natural Sciences of Zurich. These 

 societies published many studies on 

 the forests of Switzerland. It was 

 not until the 19th century that the 

 work thus done began to bear fruit. 

 Several important works were pub- 

 lished at the beginning of the cen- 

 tury and in 1843 the Swiss Society 

 of Foresters was created and has ex- 

 ercised a decisive influence on the 

 development of forestry in that 

 country. In 1855 the Federal Forest 

 School at Zurich was established 

 and in 1888 the federal station for 

 Forest Research. The first federal 

 forestry laws in 1876 came to furnish 



the indispensable basis for the de- 

 velopment of the edifice of forestry. 

 It was a result to some extent of the 

 terrible inundations of 1868 which 

 had at last opened the eyes of the 

 entire people to the importance of 

 the forest from the general point of 

 view. To some extent the interest 

 in silvicultural questions has pene- 

 trated all classes of the people. 

 Little by little they have learned to 

 estimate the forest not only because 

 of the products they obtain from it, 

 but also on account of numerous 

 other advantages they bring. There 

 is no need to fear now the alienation 

 of the public forests. On the con- 

 trary the states and communes 

 have the tendency to increase their 

 forest domain either by the purchase 

 of forest lands from private owners 

 or by the reforesting of unproduc- 

 tive communal lands, of mountain 

 pastures or of stony tracts. 



DEER HUNTING 



Don't take a pot shot at the figure 

 in the cornfield. Its no credit to bag 

 a scarecrow. Besides it may not be 

 a scarecrow — these modern styles 

 are deceiving. 



Don't fire a round of buckshot in- 

 to a haystack. There may be some- 

 body sleeping inside it whot doesn't 

 want to be called so early, either to 

 this life or another. 



In climbing over a fence with a 

 loaded gun. first unload the weapon, 

 let down the hammer, unscrew the 

 barrel and knock off the sights to 

 make it harmless. 



Don't shoot at perfect strangers. 

 Don't shoot at close friends. Be 

 sociable. 



Remember that a guide who 

 works for a measly per diem and 

 smoking tobacco isn't supposed to 

 double as a moving target. 



Be not deceived by any "moo" 

 that may sound to the windward. 

 How weak is the mere unsupported 

 testimony of the spoken word. — 

 (Exchange). 



