What Are the Enemies of the Trees? iii 



Hundreds of forest fires are set every smnmer by thunder 

 storms, but the rangers usually discover such fires soon 

 enough to put them out before they have done much harm. 



The pasturing of forests by stock does great injury, be- 

 cause of the browsing and trampling imderfoot of the yoimg 

 trees. Sheep and goats are the worst of all the animals and 

 should be kept out of those forests where the surface par- 

 ticularly needs protection and where the young trees re- 

 quire all the encouragement that Nature can give them in 

 order to make a successful start in life. 



We have learned something about the many enemies of 

 the trees, but the worst one has not yet been mentioned. 

 Can you guess what it is? This terrible enemy is man, — 

 not savage man or Indian, but civilized man. Although 

 man has more need for forest trees than has any other ani- 

 mal, he is at the same time more ruthless in his treatment 

 of them. Man destroys more trees every year, as a result 

 of fires which he sets and of his wastef td methods of lumber- 

 ing, than all the other enemies of the trees put together. 



The forest area of the world is constantly growing smaller, 

 and we must soon learn to treat the trees with more care or 

 they may, like many of the wild creatures, nearly disappear 

 from parts of the earth where they are most needed. 



