FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 335 



It must be evident that if only the mature trees are cut each year, and, if the 

 cutting is not allowed to exceed the annual increment, that there can be a yearly 

 revenue, small though it may be, and still preserve the forest. It is evident, further, 

 that if there is a continual, well directed effort to increase the young growth, that the 

 owner will have not only his forest, with its annual yield, but, also, an increase in 

 product. To have these three things — the forest, the revenue, and the increase — is 

 the fundamental principle in the management of all government forests. 



To obtain this increase in production, in annual revenues, or money value of the 

 property, is the highest aim of the forester. He who succeeds best in accomplishing 

 these ends is the best forester. The true test of forestry is the balance sheet, the 

 amount of continuous annual profit. 



Forestry methods, so far as they are applicable to the market conditions of this 

 country, need not conflict with the business of the lumbermen, although they may 

 modify the present system of forest management. The interests of the forester and 

 the lumberman are largely identical. Each, to some extent, is both a lumberman and 

 a forester, and each can learn something of the other. 



Trees, like people, grow old and die ; they die of old age, disease, insect blight, and 

 windfalls. Is it not well to utilize them before they rot and fall down ? When a 

 forest tree has ceased growing it should be converted into money, and its timber used 

 to supply some of the many purposes for which wood is needed. Proper provision 

 should be made for other trees to take its place ; for, no matter what system of forestry 

 is adopted, the cutting of the trees should be so distributed or regulated that there will 

 be no diminution of the forest area. 



In our American forests the cutting, hitherto, has included not only the mature 

 trees, but the young ones also. Neither has there been any provision for a future 

 growth. The men who owned the land conducted their work so as to get the greatest 

 immediate return of money, preferring present gains to future revenues. They owned 

 the land, wanted money, and had the legal right to manage their property as 

 best suited their needs. 



But the State can manage its forests without being obliged to sacrifice future 

 revenues to suit pressing wants. It is obliged to maintain forests for protective 

 purposes, whether they pay or not, and so can be content with the smaller revenues, 

 which have the advantage of permanency. Hence, it is desirable that the State should 

 own large forests; for, we will then have both forest preservation and a permanent 

 timber supply. 



Some of the important and interesting results of skilful forestry work may be seen 

 on the coasts of France and Holland where forests have been planted and established 

 on the barren sand dunes. Before these trees were planted the sand was continually 



