a2 THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 
prairie chickens in Texas. Most of the birds and 
animals of the field and forest have a part to fill in the 
Creator’s great plan and the destruction of a species 
means far more than wiping out of a family of God’s 
creatures which can never be created again. It means 
the destruction of a small cog in the great machine. 
Some animals, however, like the gray wolf and one or 
two of the hawks, are truly undesirable and their 
killing is justifiable. 
The resources just listed form the evident resources; 
those that quickly come to mind when the riches of 
a nation are thought of. It remained for the Third 
Conservation Congress in 1911 to add to this list—the 
conservation of human life and energy. This resource 
of a nation is so necessary that everyone takes it for 
granted, yet how much has it been overlooked! The 
waste of life in our mining operations and upon our 
railroads has been the marvel of Europe while through 
lack of organized effort but a small fraction of our 
total energy has been utilized. The American nation 
has succeeded because of the wonderful natural richness 
of this continent and because the climate and the 
mingling of bloods of all races has given the American 
people a boundless supply of energy of mind and body. 
This energy, together with the courage inherited from 
the pioneer, and unlimited opportunity has builded a 
nation in one hundred and forty years without parallel 
in the history of the world. 
The Future of Conservation.—The above list briefly 
states what riches this country was given in the begin- 
ning and what we and our forefathers have done with 
the talents. Our stewardship has been remarkable 
chiefly for its lack of thrift since we have drawn heavily 
upon our store and have almost used up some of the 
