American Forest Congress 31 



men trained in the closet and also by actual field work 

 under practical conditions." The economic peril is 

 coming to be realized everywhere — less so in the South 

 perhaps than in any other section, though even there 

 the far-seeing men are now convinced that something 

 should be done to prevent the diminution of water 

 supplies, the occurrence of disastrous floods, and the 

 almost inevitable and speedy exhaustion of the timber 

 supply; and that for this purpose the trained hands 

 and heads of several thousand men will be required to 

 start and continue the work of improving our woods. 



The calls for the assistance of the Bureau of Fores- 

 try indicate the demand for the services of trained 

 men, and this constant and increasing need is bound to 

 grow larger and more insistent each time a forester 

 has a chance to create practical examples of his useful 

 and necessary sphere in the welfare of the nation. 



How are they to be supplied ? 



Europe has long since discovered the value and 

 necessity of "forest schools," not only for turning out 

 trained specialists in the art of forestry, but of diffusing 

 among the people a general and genuine interest in 

 forestry; for creating a healthful public sentiment, 

 which constitutes the best possible protection for the 

 woods; for leading men to regard forests as their 

 friends and to understand their influence in staying 

 spring torrents and preventing summer droughts, and 

 their economic value in supplying lumber and fuel. 



Recent federal and state legislation evidences a 

 growing public sentiment in favor of forestry, but we 

 must not fail to realize that all laws which are not 

 supported by a general public sentiment are difficult 

 of operation. 



Ever since the founding of the American Forestry 

 Association in 1882 the need of providing for educa- 



