THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FOREST 

 RESERVE. 



BY JOSEPH HYDE PRATT. 



The forest wealth of North Carolina and Tennessee makes 

 the establishment of a Southern Appalachian Forest Reserve 

 of very great interest to these States; but as these forests 

 affect industries throughout all of the Southern States, and 

 thus affect the industries of the entire country, the estab- 

 lishment of this Forest Reserve is a matter also of national 

 interest and concern. One hundred years ago there was lit- 

 tle or no attention given in this country to the method or 

 means by which its forests were cut away; that is, whether 

 they were cut for lumber or ruthlessly destroyed in the clear- 

 ing of land for agricultural purposes. There was no thought 

 paid to the prevention of forest fires because they were harm- 

 ful to the forests themselves; and no thought whatever was 

 given to the influence that forests exert on the flow of 

 streams and rivers. At that time there seemed to be a super- 

 abundance of lumber for all purposes, the wasteful destruc- 

 tion of which could not then be felt. Forest fires were not 

 considered as doing- any particular harm as long as they did 

 not come too near the habitations of men. The streams and 

 rivers always contained plenty of water and for a quarter of 

 a century not enough land was cleared of their forests to 

 demonstrate the effect their removal had upon the water sup- 

 ply. 



At the beginning of the 20th century, however, there has 

 been a decided change in the views and ideas regarding the 

 value to a country of its forest resources. Thus, our leading 



166 [Dee. 



