Philosophy of Botany. 249 



a crew of foresters until regular schools of forestry will have 

 been established. 



After the first steps had been made with the appointment of 

 wardens and gamekeepers in various States, it was necessary, 

 in order to secure rational proceedings, to procure ample sta- 

 tistical data, to give exact information about the extent, situa- 

 tion, and condition of the still unoccupied and timber-clad pub- 

 lic domain. This work had been carried on by the forestry 

 division with great success, and the annual reports of its chief 

 kept Congress so well informed and interested that on March 

 3, 1891, the President was empowered to issue a proclama- 

 tion that such sviitable parts of the public lands as had not 

 yet become private property should be reserved as forest res- 

 ervations. In addition to the Yellowstone National Park, 

 which is indeed but a great forest and game reservation, there 

 were next such reservations selected as are interesting in 

 historic, scientific, or economic respects. Thus the Yosemite 

 Reservation in California, where are the last remainders of the 

 once extensive stands of the giant sequoia, should be preserved 

 and rescued from total extermination. 



It was furthermore considered as a matter of great impor- 

 tance to preserve extensive bodies of wooded territories at the 

 head waters of the great streams, to maintain the water supply, 

 and regulate it to prevent excessive inundation. 



In this way had taken place the foundation of a great many 

 reservations in the West and Northwest, when, in the begin- 

 ning of the year 1897, President Cleveland issued another proc- 

 lamation which secured at once seventeen more reservations, 

 with a total area of more than 21,000,000 acres. This famous 

 act of prudent statesmanship was prompted through a report 

 of the National Academy of Science, made on request of the 

 Secretary of the Interior, Hoke Smith. This committee was 

 composed of the most distinguished scientists and experts of 

 this country, and they had for tlieir investigations a fund of 

 $100,000 at their disposition. Divided into several divisions, 

 they explored carefully the limits, nature, and conditions of 

 such regions as they thought best suitable for permanent res- 

 ervations. The commission in the final report also earnestly 

 recommended to introduce and establish a regular forestry 



