Early Forest History. 407 



supply of wood and timber for all our wants. The evils which 

 are anticipated will -probably increase upon us for thirty years to 

 come with tenfold the rapidity vnth which restoring or ameliorating 

 measures shall ie adopted. 



And again: 



" Like a cloud no bigger than a man's hand just rising from 

 the sea, an awakening interest begins to come in sight on this 

 subject, which as a question of political economy will place the 

 interests of cotton, wool, coal, iron, meat, and even grain, be- 

 neath its feet. Some of these, according to the demand, can be 

 produced in a few days, others in a few months or a few years, 

 but timber in not less than one generation. The nation has 

 slept because the gnawing of want has not awakened her. She 

 has had plenty and to spare, but within thirty years she will be 

 conscious that not only individual want is present, but that it 

 comes to each from permanent national famine of wood." 



The article is full of interesting detail, and may be 

 said to be the starting basis of the campaign for better 

 methods which followed. 



Another unquestionably most influential, oflSicial report 

 was that upon "Forests and Forestry in Germany," by 

 Dr. John A. Warder, United States Commissioner to the 

 "World's Fair at Vienna in 1873. Dr. Warder set forth 

 clearly and correctly the methods employed abroad in 

 the use of forests, and became himself one of the most 

 prominent propagandists for their adoption in his own 

 country. 



About the same time appeared the classical work of 

 George B. Marsh, our minister to Italy, "The Earth as 

 Modified by Human Action," in which the evil effects 

 on cultural conditions of forest destruction were ably 

 and forcibly pointed out. 



