ARTIFICIAL FORESTS OF EUROPE 
forests might be made perpetual, and 
so might furnish a constant supply of 
useful material; that they economized 
and regulated the flow of mountain 
streams, which are always of great 
importance to the agricultural lands of 
subjacent regions; that they held in 
place the loose soil of the slopes, thus 
averting avalanches and ruinous floods; 
that they broke the force of the winds, 
tempered and purified the air, and I 
may add, inspired man with better and 
happier thoughts. 
For these reasons the people of Hu- 
rope determined to guard their forests 
well, and to aid nature, if possible, in 
becoming still more useful to man. 
To this end they made a careful study 
of the life history of the forest, and 
investigated the requirements of the 
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