THE RELATION OF RAILWAYS TO THE TIMBER RESOURCES 

 OF THE UNITED STATES. 



By E. E. Russell Tratman, C. E. 

 {Read hefore the American Forestry Congress, at Atlanta, Ga., Becemher 8, 1888.) 



The report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1887, recently 

 published, contains an interesting but brief report from the Chief of 

 the Forestry Division, and this report refers to the Government inter- 

 est in the development and maintenance of the forests ; a matter which 

 is of far greater importan'ce than is generally understood, and which is 

 especially important on account of the rai)id destruction of forests 

 through the legitimate demand for timber, through reckless use, and 

 through wasteful practices of burning, herding, etc., while very little 

 practical attention is paid to the question of forest planting or reforest- 

 ing, although the forest under proper management is capable of fur- 

 nishing continuous crops. The question considered is, '^ What is the 

 first duty of the General Government in regard to the forestry ques- 

 tion ?" It is stated that the natural forests are being rapidly reduced 

 by an increased demand for timber and by reckless use and wanton 

 destruction, and that the annual consumption of wood and wood prod- 

 ucts is at least double the amount reproduced on our x^resent forest area. 

 The national interest in this question is shown from four iDoints of view : 

 (1) Because the forests i^roperly managed would be the source of a 

 constant supply of timber 5 (2) because a sound land policy demands 

 attention to forest management to prevent the deterioration of forests 

 and forest lands ; (3) because a rational forest policy demands atten- 

 tion to the disturbance of the distribution of water flow by forest devas- 

 tation and by the denudation of mountains and hills; and (4) because 

 forest planting is a means of ameliorating climatic conditions and mak- 

 ing certain regions more habitable. 



Other nations have recognized the importance of the forestry- prob- 

 lem and have the matter under State administration ; for i)rivate in- 

 terest is not sufficient to protect the forest property, since to the indi- 

 vidual it is the existing timber alone that is valuable, and he has no 

 care for any but pecuniary considerations. Consequently the State 

 must undertake the management and protection of the forests. 



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