Mr. Snow. 
Mr. Johnston. ~ 
454 DISCUSSION: FORESTS, RESERVOIRS, AND STREAM FLOW 
The scheme, advocated by many, of reserving enormous tracts of land 
for forest growth exclusively is all wrong. To prevent cutting in 
primeval forests is still worsé. Matured trees make but little growth, 
and nearly all timber native in Appalachian regions is better in 
second than in old growth. Primeval forest shows lack of civilization, 
and large areas of it will lead back to uncivilized conditions among 
its denizens, be they men or beasts. 
The true way to make forest conservation a benefit to the people 
is to encourage the growth of valuable timber in small areas scattered 
all over the farming section. In New England the northerly slopes 
are almost invariably better adapted to tree growth than to pasture or 
to cultivation. Add to these the high lands too rocky or thin-soiled for 
farm use, and we have a sufficient area for timber. It is probable that 
this is just what the author means, but his statement is capable of 
being interpreted differently. 
Land that can be cultivated profitably for field crops should not 
be wasted on forests. There is an abundant area in New England 
that cannot be so cultivated without going to the high peaks of the 
White Mountains or their slopes, which, forsooth, are mostly above 
the tree-line or too near it for the profitable growth of timber. Small 
areas, as advocated above, will not endanger streams by driftwood or 
quick spring floods; nor will they foster such awful fires as large 
tracts actually invite. 
' Reforestation, to be successful, must rest on an economic basis. 
The greatest handicap to forest raising to-day is taxation. In the 
region considered, real estate is heavily taxed, especially that con- 
trolled by non-resident owners. If taxes on land devoted entirely to 
tree growing—where an earnest effort is made by the owners to grow 
suitable trees—could be assumed by the State or Nation until revenue 
of some kind is derived from the land, a substantial and wholesome 
impetus would be given to the work. 
CrarENce T. Jounston, M. Am. Soo. CO. E. (by letter).— All who are 
familiar with the forested mountain regions of the West will agree 
with Colonel Chittenden in his conclusions. Possibly there are locali- 
ties in the East where forests have the influence on stream-flow which 
has been attributed to them by popular rather than scientific authori- 
ties. Several discussors refer to the days of their childhood when 
forests were found on every hand, when streams furnished a steady 
flow, and when floods were not common; but they do not supply any 
data from which to judge as to how much cultivation has taken place 
since the forests disappeared, and what kind of vegetable growth has 
taken the place of the forests. Neither do they furnish any informa- 
tion relative to the rainfall during the years covered by their observa- 
tions, the character of the drainage area, the kind of soil, the slope, ete. 
In the absence of this information, it is difficult to understand how 
