43 
remedial measures were seriously thought of, and as a result 
forestry has gained more ground within the past ten years than 
during all the world’s history. As proof of this quickening 
interest it may be stated that the U. S. Department of Agricul- 
ture, through its bureau of forestry, which in 1898 offered to 
take charge of and administer private forest lands along the lines 
of scientific forestry, now has actually under its management 
176,975 acres, and has on file applications from private owners 
covering over four million acres. Add to this the fact that the 
U. S. Government has set aside 41 forest reserves in variou 
parts of the country, having a total area of 46, ee acres, and 
we can appreciate how forest protection has 
We may return for a moment to the pee ate of the birds 
that are not ranked as game birds, for they furnish the closest 
parallel with our plants. As they are practically valueless for 
mm 
caprice of Gatien rnllions were destroyed annually simply for 
decorative purposes. Owing to this ceaseless persecution not a 
few species were threatened with absolute extinction, and only 
then did the sentiment for their protection begin to gain ground. 
At first confined to a few nature-lovers, the agitation has spread, 
until, within the past ten years, we have seen a veritable wave of 
sentiment for bird-protection extend from end to end of this 
country. Dozens of societies for the study and protection of birds 
have been organized, magazines of similar scope have been estab- 
lished, numerous books have been written, and finally legislation 
has been enacted making it a crime against the state or the nation 
to traffic in our song or insectivorous birds. As the result the 
birds of the sea-shore, plain and forest are to be spared to us. 
I have ventured to indulge in this somewhat lengthy preamble 
for the purpose of showing on the one hand, the difficulties that 
naturally inhere in the problem before us, and on the other 
hand, to set forth the measure of encouragement afforded by 
kindred undertakings. To devise means for the adequate pro- 
tection of our native plants will not be easy, but the same might 
have been said a few years ago about our birds, yet their protec- 
