260 



WOOD AND FOKEST. 



the ^\-oods to plant on new and ridier land. The forest was also full 

 of enemies to the settler, Ijoth animals and Indians, and was a 

 dreaded field for fire. So there grew up a feeling of hate and feai 

 for the forest. 



More than that the forest seemed exhaustless. The clearings were 

 at first only specks in the woods, and even wlien they were pushed 

 farther and farther back from the seacoast, there was plenty of 

 timber beyond. 



The idea tliat tlie area of tliis forest could ever be diminislied by liuraan 

 hands to any appreciable extent so that people would become afraid of not 

 havinc: woodland enough to supply them with the needed lumber, would have 

 seemed an utter absurdity to the backwoodsman. * * * Thus the legend 

 arose of the inexhaustible supply of lumber in American forests, a legend 

 which only within the last twenty years has given place to juster notions. 

 (Bruncken, p. .57.) 



This tradition of abundant supply and the feeling of hostility to 

 the forest lasted long after the reasons for them had disappeared. 

 When we remember that every farnr in the eastern United States, is 

 made from reclaimed forest land and that for decades lumber was 



oil Forest Turneil Inio I'.i 

 !_'. S. Forrst .S,vr7rf 



always within I'eacli up the li^■ers, down which it was lloated. it is 

 not strange tliat reckless and extravagant methods of cutting and 

 using it prevailed. 



Following the settler came the lumberman, who continued the 

 same method of laying waste the forest land. The lumber market 

 grew slowly at first, but later developed by leaps and bounds, until 

 now the output is enormous. 



