34 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 204. 



tude of New York, until February, and the plants hardened 

 off so as to go out late in March. In either place it gives a 

 chance to use the sashes on the cold frames before the To- 

 mato-plants need them, as the Cabbage-plants can go outside 

 just at the time the Tomato-plants should be ready to go into 

 the frames. The frames we are now putting the Cabbage- 

 plants in have just been cleared of Lettuce, and will have 

 constant use from now to April. _ , _ 



Raleigh. N.c. ^. ^- Massey. 



The Forest. 



The Forestry Movement in the United States. 



'T'HIS was the title of a paper read before the late Forestry 

 ^ Convention in Washington by Mr. J. D. W. French, of 

 Boston, Massachusetts. It was an exhaustive resume of the 

 direct efforts that have been made in this country for preserv- 

 ing our forests, and it was accompanied by a chronological list 

 of the more important events in the history of the move- 

 ment, such as the acts of Congress and state legislatures, the 

 founding of various organizations, the publication of books 

 and other literature bearing upon the subject. This last com- 

 pilation, which Mr. French calls Forestry Annals, begins as 

 early as 1681 with the ordinance of William Penn demanding 

 "the reservation of one acre of trees to every five acres that 

 were cleared," and gives a very complete record of the various 

 occurrences, according to their dates, up to the present time. 

 Our space will not admit the publication in full of these pa- 

 pers, and we can only touch upon the subjects treated. The 

 complete record is, however, a valuable one, and will be of 

 great use to the future historian of our forests. Mr. Frencli 

 first gave a graphic picture of the present condition of our 

 woods, and began by quoting the language of an official of the 

 state of Arkansas, who, when aslced as to the state's policy re- 

 garding its timber, sent back the reply, "To get rid of the tim- 

 ber." If deeds speak louder than words, tliis has been the 

 policy of all the states in the Union, and the priceless heritage 

 which the Almighty planted in abundance throughout the 

 land seems hastening, with the Indian and the buffalo, to de- 

 struction. 



In speaking of the movementfor preserving our forests, Mr. 

 French said, " As early as the year 1817 an act was passed re- 

 serving lands producing Live Oaks and Red Cedars to supply 

 timber for the navy. In 1831 another act was passed wliicli 

 included other timber, and imposed penalties for its violation. 

 ' Upon this old law,' says Mr. Bovvers, the .Secretary of the 

 American Forestry Association, ' having the construction of a 

 wooden navy in view, the Government of the United States 

 has to-day cliiefly to rely in protecting its timber throughout 

 the arid regions of tlie west, where none of the naval timber, 

 whicli the law had in contemplation, is to be found. Can it be 

 wondered tliat this act does not meet present conditions ? ' 

 With all our boasted progress as a nation, we are dependent 

 upon such an antiquated and inadequate law for the protection 

 of our timber." 



Other laws alluded to were several allowing the cutting of 

 timber and the purchase of forest-lands, the so-called Timber 

 Culture Act, repealed by the last Congress, and the section 

 authorizing the President to estalilisli reservalions, of which 

 we have several times spoken at length. The only action 

 taken by an individual state to secure forest-reservation within 

 its borders is that by New York, and yet the proposed Adiron- 

 dack Park lacks the necessary legislation to become a realized 

 fact. 



The first attempt on the part of Congress to collect definite 

 information in the interest of a systematic foresl-policy was 

 made in 1876, under which Dr. Franklin Hough was appointed 

 by the Commissioner of Agriculture to make a report. This 

 report remains a very useful book of reference, and others 

 were afterward prepared by Mr. Hough. The Forestry Divi- 

 sion of the Department of Agriculture was organized in 1881, 

 and it remained under the charge of Mr. Hough for two years, 

 when he was succeeded by Mr. N. H. Egleston. In 1886 this 

 Division was made an organic part of the Department, and 

 Mr. B. E. Fernow became the Chief of the Division, with whose 

 efficient labors in various directions our readers have been 

 kept informed. 



The American Forestry Association was organized by Dr. 

 John A. Warder in 1875, and since 1882, when the session was 

 i)eld in Cincinnati, there have been yearly meetings. This 

 Association has done much valuable work in arousing public 

 interest, in promoting the formation of local associations and 

 in urging measures of desirable legislation by publishing from 

 time to time its proceedings, and in other ways diffusing 



useful knowledge on the subject of forestry. Notwithstanding 

 the apathy of the public and the neglect of Congress this As- 

 sociation has steadfastly trusted that the good sense of the 

 American people will finally bring them to realize the impor- 

 tance of this work and to compel legislative action in the lines 

 which they have indicated. 



The work of various other societies is next summarized, and 

 honorable mention is made of the individuals who have not 

 only done practical work in the way of tree-planting, but who 

 have been instrumental in creating a proper public sentiment. 



Under the head of " Literature " Mr. French gives a brief 

 account of the books published by Michaux, Nuttall, Emerson, 

 Sargent and others, and a notice of periodicals like Forest 

 Leaves and Garden and Forest. The establishment of the 

 Arnold Arboretum in 1872 is noted as an important advance 

 in furnishing object-lessons in every branch of forest-science, 

 and the Missouri Botanical Garden is described as another 

 agency which may be of great value in the same direction. 



Mr. French considers the reservation of forest-lands without 

 laws for their care and protection about as absurd as it 

 would be to build a mill and then fail to supply it with ma- 

 chinery. "Itistrue, however," continued Mr. French, "thatthe 

 Secretary of War, in answer to a request made by the Secre- 

 tary of the Interior, has sent squads of cavalry to guard some 

 of the parks, as the Yellowstone, the Sequoia and the Yosem- 

 ite. Under the present condition of our laws there can be no 

 better plan than to employ our army as forest-guardians. The 

 army is eminently fitted to become custodians of our forests, 

 and, moreover, it can be called into service immediately with- 

 out going through the tedious process of passing laws. Now, 

 if a knowledge of forestry could be added to its other desirable 

 and available qualities, and proper laws of administration 

 should be adopted, the problem of the care and preservation 

 of our forests would seem to be in a fair way of solution. 

 Why might there not be a Chair of Forestry at West Point, 

 and a Forestry School to teach the soldiers practical forestry 

 on one of the western reservations ? Could any better use be 

 made of a portion of the army in time of peace than to instruct 

 it in the principles of forestry ? Would not a better class of 

 men volunteer, and would there not be fewer desertions, if 

 forestry and other subjects of importance were taught at some 

 of the army posts ? An army post might, under these circum- 

 stances, become a school at whit h a soldier could learn some- 

 thing more than mere military routine. 



"With instruction in forestry at West Point there would in a 

 few years be a number of men competent to teach. England 

 has been compelled, from the difficulty of obtaining properly 

 traine<l men for the Indian forest-service, to establish a forestry 

 school in connection with the Royal Indian Engineering Col- 

 lege at Cooper's Hill. It might be a wise thing for our Govern- 

 ment to send a few capable young men to Europe to study 

 forestry, with the understanding that they should return to 

 give a certain number of years to Government service. No 

 matter what the laws are, there can be no jiroper forest-ad- 

 ministration until we have men in charge who have at least 

 some knowledge of forestry. 



" The most im|)Ortant thing, however, at the present time, is 

 to save the forests on the i)ublic domain at all hazards from 

 fires and thieves, and this can be done under present laws only 

 by the use of the army. The army, as it now exists, is quite 

 capable of carrying out what is called the 'common-sense 

 management,' which consists, according to Mr. Fernow, in 

 avoiding unnecessary waste, in i^rotecting against fire, in keep- 

 ing out cattle: where young growth is to be fostered, and in not 

 preventing, by malpractice, the natural reforestation. One of 

 the bills prepared by the American Forestry Association, and 

 known as the DLumell bill, authorized the employment of the 

 army as custodians of the public forests. 



"Legislation is certainly needed, and this can only be brought 

 about by persistent agitation. This important suliject should 

 be urged upon pulilic attention at home, on the rostrum and 

 in the newspapers. Drill it into your Congressmen with the 

 keen-edged sword of your votes. In this way, and in this way 

 only, can we hope to influence public opinion." 



Correspondence. 

 Eckford's Sweet Peas. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The fact that thirteen out of the thirty new Sweet Peas 

 of Henry Eckford have received first-class certificates froin the 

 Royal Horticultural Society of England, gives him the pre- 

 eminent place as a hybriciizer of this flower, and therefore 



