Economic Value of Species. 145 
the inferior soil stuff of the Lafayette formation. In such eases the de- 
struction is irremediable by human craft—the fine loam once removed 
can never be restored. The area from which this loam is already gone is 
appalling, and the rate of loss is increasing in a geometric proportion. 
What the farmer has brought upon himself here by excessive 
clearing, the lumberer, prospector, miner or hunter prepares in 
the farther west by reckless and purposeless use of fire. Burnt 
mountain sides, where no living thing can subsist in comfort, 
cover not acres but hundreds of square miles in the western 
country. While the first fire only deadens the trees or under- 
mines their constitution, the second or third fire usually is suf- 
ficient to kill what remain alive and even to clean up the fallen 
timber. That these bald spots are not more frequent than they 
are is only due to the short period of our endeavors in disturb- 
ing the balance of nature. 
But as our nation prides itself on the rapidity of its develop- 
ment, exercising to the utmost our constructive energies, so do 
we excel in destructive and wasteful energies and tendencies, and 
we shall come to grief with our resources much sooner than some 
of our happy-go-lucky friends would like to make us believe. 
While these exhibitions of American vandalism are beyond the 
proprieties of legitimate warfare, there is not much more propriety 
or intelligence visible in the manner in which we levy tribute from 
the forest for our legitimate needs. Forests grow to be used, but 
there is a great difference between intelligent and unintelligent use. 
Improvidence and ignorance characterize the present methods 
of using the forest-growth. The value of it is not even known. 
Of the 425 or more species which are represented in the forests, 
not more than 40 or 50 at the most are found in the markets. 
Although, to be sure, many of the species are of but little or of 
no economic value, the number of the truly useful trees is prob- 
ably twice or three times as great as that actually used.  Igno- 
rance as to the true value of them keeps many from little more 
than simply a strictly local use or from their most fit employ- 
ment. The story of the black walnut used for fence rails or fire- 
wood is well known. Six yearsago the red gum or liquidambar, 
now a fashionable finishing material, was despised. Ten years 
ago large hemlock trees were mouldering in the woods after the 
bark had been taken for tanning purposes because the value of 
the wood was unknown. Cypress and Douglas spruce cannot yet 
overcome the prejudice of the market. On the other hand, cot- 
