THE AMERICAN FORESTS 339 



the object of first importance must be the cut- 

 ting each year of an amount of timber equal to 

 the total annual increase, and no more. 



The Russian government passed a law in 1888, 

 declaring that clearing is forbidden in protected 

 forests, and is allowed in others " only when its 

 effects will not be to disturb the suitable rela- 

 tions which should exist between forest and agri- 

 cultural lands." 



Even Japan is ahead of us in the management of 

 her forests. They cover an area of about twenty- 

 nine million acres. The feudal lords valued the 

 woodlands, and enacted vigorous protective laws ; 

 and when, in the latest civil war, the Mikado gov- 

 ernment destroyed the feudal system, it declared 

 the forests that had belonged to the feudal lords to 

 be the property of the state, promulgated a forest 

 law binding on the whole kingdom, and founded 

 a school of forestry in Tokio. The forest service 

 does not rest satisfied with the present proportion 

 of woodland, but looks to planting the best forest 

 trees it can find in any country, if likely to be 

 usefid and to thrive in Japan. 



In India systematic forest management was 

 begun about forty years ago, under difficulties 

 — presented by the character of the country, the 

 prevalence of running fires, opposition from lum- 

 bermen, settlers, etc. — not unlike those which 

 confront us now. Of the total area of government 

 forests, perhaps seventy million acres, fifty-five 



