A DecexxixVL Record 103 



This situation is not confined to the forest products. In all of 

 those resources which are produced by the earth the same situation is 

 arising or has already come to pass. We can not easily increase the 

 area of j^roductive land or of utilizable water. We must make the 

 annual production of land and water suffice for our needs. 



As this situation begins to become manifest, we take various 

 measures in order to reduce the depletion of our l)alance in nature's 

 bank; in order also to increase the annual production. We put up 

 restrictions, both legal and moral, upon the use of the products of 

 nature. We go still farther and endeavor to increase the annual 

 income of these productions. We set up fish hatcheries ; we produce 

 improved varieties of seed so that the net increase of the land and 

 water may be made larger and that there may be a greater amount 

 in this annual contribution of the earth to our su^^port; we try to 

 utilize waste — or what we once regarded as waste; we handle the 

 making of coke so that what were formerly waste products are util- 

 ized ; we overliaul the culm bank of the coal mine and we rework the 

 tailings of other mines. In all these ways and in many more we 

 attempt to check the depletion of our natural resources. 



In the use of forest products we increase our balance, as the Gov- 

 ernor has told us, by employing kinds and varieties and sizes of wood 

 which only a few years ago were regarded as entirely worthless. All 

 of these metliods are necessary and right, and they all help to prolong 

 the period diu-ing which the lialance in natiu-e's bank may be available 

 to us. They aid also in increasing the annual supply of the products 

 which nature is putting forth for our use; but, as the Governor's story 

 showed us, these means are inadequate— inadequate in every direction 

 and particularly inadequate in securing a permanent supply of forest 

 products. 



This raises the particular point which I was asked to talk about 

 this morning. I am asked to call your attention to another great asset, 

 another great resource of a civilized people, which is being used 

 slightly and very imperfectly, which is continually accumulating, 

 which is capable of very great use; out of which will come great saving 

 and great addition to natural resources and a correspondingly great 

 prolongation and advancement of the prosperity of the people. I 

 am speaking of the stock of scientific knowledge M-hich has accumu- 

 lated diu'ing, let us say, the past half or three-quarters of a century. 



