30 



trees as possible. This also may be done from a variety of motives, as 

 wbeu done by government or corporations with a view of affecting tbe 

 climate and preserving tbe rivers and soil of tbe mountains, etc. Tbe 

 difference consists cbiefly in tbe fact tbat in tbe one case tree-planting is 

 done as a mere incident witb a view of enhancing tbe value of otber 

 forms of property witb wbicb it is intimately connected, wbile in tbe 

 otber case it is tbe cbief business, and tbe ground is given up entirely 

 to tbis one crop and is managed witb reference to its prosperity. Tbe 

 former can be done, of course, by every farmer or owner of a lot wbicb 

 be devotes cbiefly to otber uses, wbile tbe latter can be done only by 

 tbose wbo give up tbeir wbole land to tbis one purpose. Tree-planting, 

 however extensive it may become, can never take tbe place of forest 

 cultivation. Tbe former would, of course, be done only by people in 

 places where they live and cultivate tbe fields, wbile the forests must 

 be kept up often on sterile and, for agricultural purposes, good-for noth- 

 ing soil, where no farmer could make a living. To secure, moreover, tbe 

 meteorological advantages of forests and the indirect industrial benefits 

 which flow from tbeir regular maintenance, it is absolutely necessary in 

 certain conditions tbat they should cover a large extent of contiguous 

 ground, stretching often for miles. It is evident tbat such work cannot 

 be done by a small farmer in tbe time and witb tbe means usually at 

 his command. 



Another point must be insisted upon, and tbat is tbat forest preser- 

 vation does not at all mean that trees shall not be cut down, but simply 

 that they shall be cultivated just like any otber crop, and not wasted 5 

 tbat they shall not be taken away before they are ripe for use, except 

 for some special reasons, and that the conditions necessary, for repro- 

 duction shall be steadily maintained from year to year. This means, 

 oftentimes, tbat care must be exercised not to allow the stand of trees 

 to be cut off' entirely or all at once, since this sometimes so changes the 

 whole character of tbe soil and climate as to make it impossible to re- 

 cover tbe ground witb any reasonable expenditure of effort. It is from 

 tbis wholesale and inconsiderate cutting that such immense damage is 

 being done in all mountainous regions by the clearing of the forests 

 from tbe hill-sides. The soil is left exposed to the free action of the frost 

 and rain and is carried off' in such quantities as to leave only tbe bare 

 rocks, on which nothing can take root. Even if tbe soil should not be 

 carried off', tbe beating rain and driving storm, the scorching sun and 

 biting frosts will dry up, freeze out, drown out, or sweep away what- 

 ever seedlings might spring up there. Tbe judicious cutting of a for- 

 est in a climate like that of the Atlanti • or Pacific coast regions, says 

 Dr. Sargent, entails no serious or permanent loss. A crop ready for 

 the harvest is gathered for the benefit of the community. Trees which 

 have reached tbeir prime are cut instead of being allowed to perish 

 naturally, and others t.ike their place. In this way tbe permanence of 

 forests is secured while tbeir fruitfulness is kept at the maximum, if we 

 consider, say, a century as the unit of time. 



