32 



any sort iuto the hands of private parties to do with theiu as they 

 chose. The nation never thought of doing anything of the sort with 

 its streams. They were looked upon from the very first as things in 

 which all had an interest and which the Government should protect in 

 the interest of the whole. But with that curious inconsistency which 

 characterizes all men more or less in their political and social relations, 

 but especially the Anglo-SaxoUj while we prescribed punishments for 

 all who polluted or filled up or diverted our streams, no matter how con- 

 venient it was for them to do so, no matter how much they may have 

 saved or made by so doing — we have had nothing to say to him who was 

 slowly drying up the very sources of the streams by cutting away by 

 wholesale the trees that protected them. 



It must seem to a disinterested student of human affairs a strange 

 thing that a Government will protect the farmer by its police force 

 against the thief who would take a bushel of corn, but will do nothing 

 with him who steals away the fertility of his field by drying up his 

 water supply j or, indeed, will prevent a brother farmer from turning 

 aside a portion of the stream which has always flowed through his farm, 

 but will say nothing to him who causes the whole stream to dry up and 

 disappear at one time, and reappear at another as a raging torrent 

 threatening to sweep away his most valuable acres; or will protect 

 him against the assault of a bodily aggressor, but do nothing with the 

 man who steals away his health by altering the whole character of his 

 air and climate. 



Strange it would seem to be that aGovernment will establish an agri- 

 cultural school where the scientific side of agriculture can be studied, 

 experiments made on crops and soil, etc., and spread abroad at public 

 expense the results of such experiments, and yet make it no part of the 

 duty of such a school, nor offer any inducement to any one to undertake 

 the investigation of forestry, which underlies and conditions the very 

 possibilities of a flourishing agriculture. Strange that it will spend 

 large sums of money in growing and distributing freely to farmers seeds 

 of various kinds of plants, while it has as yet done little or nothing to- 

 ward the same kind of thing in regard to trees, the growing of which 

 under some sets of conditions would be as profitable as that of any of 

 the new kinds of crops which it would introduce. Strange that it will 

 establish agricultural fairs and ofl'er i)remiums for excellence in all 

 branches of agricultural work and yet not notice a work which is of 

 vital and fundamental importance to the whole industry of the country. 



All this however is spilt milk. What has been done has been done 

 and can not be helped. Its consequences may perhaps be obviated 

 somewhat. What has been left undone has been left undone, and we 

 can not remedy the evil except by inaugurating a different policy. 



The first step is for the Federal and State governments to remove 

 the timber lands which still belong to them from the list of lands for 

 entry or sale, and, after a thorough examination as to what forests are 



