THE TRAINING OF A FORESTER 



tion of a right public sentiment in forest 

 matters. In State forestry the need for 

 agitation has by no means passed. It is 

 often the duty of the State Forester to pre- 

 pare or endeavor to secure the passage of 

 good State forest laws, or to interpose 

 against the enactment of bad laws. In 

 particular, much of his time is likely to be 

 given to legislation upon the subjects of 

 forest fires and forest taxation. Upon the 

 latter there is as yet no sound and effective 

 public opinion in many parts of the United 

 States, and legislatures and people still do 

 not understand how powerful bad methods 

 of forest taxation have been and still are in 

 forcing the destructive cutting of timber by 

 making it impossible to wait for the better 

 methods of lumbering which accompany a 

 better market. I have known the taxes on 

 standing timber to equal six per cent, a year 

 on the reasonable value of the stumpage. 



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