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CHAPTER III. 



ORIGIN AND CONTINUANCE OF FORESTS. 



In the study of forestry it becomes a matter of interest to inquire 

 into the conditions under which a forest can come into existence. The 

 theory of evolution takes us bacK to the single cell from which to im- 

 agine the building up of cells and combinations of cells into our tree 

 growths as a preliminary to past and present forests. A long and in- 

 teresting inquiry opens along these lines. While the evolution of our 

 trees from s.mple vegetable forms or from the cell is not proven the 

 theory follows the lines of least mental resistance. Besides this, evo- 

 lution offers us a reasonable hope for further development and im- 

 provement for life especially in its human form. This adds greatly to 

 the attractiveness of the theory. If life has evolved from the single 

 cell to the present varied and complex forms it is easier to assume 

 further progress than to assume that life has reached its highest 

 limit. With this doctrine we have a just expectation of better things 

 for our descendants if not for ourselves. 



The first land that appeared in this world could not have 

 had forests on it "ab initio." We must take a mental flight 

 from the times of the first appearance of land, covering 

 aeons of time, before we can arrive at forests like those we 

 now have. The erosions and vicissitudes of tide, flood and tornado in 

 the earliest history of the earth's land would of themselves preclude 

 at that time the possibility of any forests whatever. We are forced to 

 the opinion that great extremes in these matters of air and water 

 movement existed. How vegetation first had a start and hold on land 

 is an interesting subject for speculation. It is probable that the con- 

 ditions under which the earth's life, including vegetable life, took its 

 evolutionary initial movements no longer exist. This presumption is 

 probable as to all present forms of life. If the world was without life 

 today it Is reasonable to assume that any life developed would be in 



