districts here and there, of a limited extent, that are still well watered and carefully cultivated.

Palestine.-Canaan, the promised land, that "flowed with milk and honey," was, in the time of Joshua and for centuries after, a country of wonderful fertility. The mountains of Lebanon, the ridges and knolls and steep hillsides, were then covered with dense forests, and the stately cedars became the subject of sacred poesy and the objects of veneration. The dense population of Palestine flourished in the midst of abundance for hundreds of years. But the gradual destruction of her forests, quite completed by the vandalism of the Venetians and the Genoese, resulted in an impoverishment of soil that left this once fair country a desert. The Jordan has long been an insignificant stream-its yellow, turgid waters overflowing its banks and carrying to the sea the loose soil of the hills around during the rainy season, and then dwindling to a mere brooklet in the summer months. The several smaller streams, noted for their beauty and beneficence in Bible times, now are but stony runs, completely dry during the greater part of the year. "A few fertile spots have retained their old fertility, but the few cedar trees remaining as a landmark around the Maronite convent on the rocky and barren Lebanon look lonely and mournfully upon an arid and desolate country, not capable of sustaining one-sixth of the population it contained at the time of Solomon."

It is not my purpose to multiply examples from history. I mention these simply to call your attention to the indisputable fact that a country of mountainous and hilly surface, when stripped of its protecting forests, rapidly becomes unproductive and in every way unfitted for a high degree of prosperity and civilization.

Forestry Education in Europe.-In the early part of the eighteenth century the Governments of Prussia and France had their attention seriously called to the rapidity with which the forests were disappearing within their borders, and the disastrous effects which were sure to fol low. The great Frederick cast the horoscope of the future for his be. loved Prussia, and saw that his little kingdom could grow and prosper only through the observance of a policy that would preserve and increase the forest area-assist rather than war against nature's method of preserving the fruitfulness of the soil. He made it a law to divide the forests into equal sections, and to fell the timber in successive an nual portions-in fact, to institute a systematic treatment of the forest domain with a view to its improvement and perpetuation. Forest ordinances in different parts of Germany had been passed as early as the latter part of the fifteenth century, but more especially with a view to preserve the game for the pleasure of the hunter and the tables of royalty and the rich. Game and forest keepers were the first real foresters. Count J. G. von Langen, one of the principal game and forest keepers of those times, introduced in 1740 the first systematic working plan in the Harz Mountains, and soon after this we find in Prussia the

transition from the irregular "Plaenter System" to a systematic management of the forestry interests.

But its full importance [says S. V. Dorrien] was only recognized at a much later period, when it was deemed advisable to consider the laws of nature, and to apply the rules of general economy to the administration of the forests. When political economy favored commercial industry to such a degree as to break the absolute sovereignty over forests; when the fast progress of natural science became in a high degree beneficial to technical experience; and when men like G. L. Hartig and Heinrich Cotta began to lay down certain rules for the scientific management of forests; then indeed the knowledge of forestry was entitled to be called a science.

Europe has nineteen high schools of forestry. In Germany there are nine; in Austria and Russia, two each; in France, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and Denmark, one each.

From a very interesting report to our Government on "Forest Culture in Prussia," by F. C. Zimmerman, consular clerk at Berlin, 1880, I take the following facts:

The first forest schools were established in Germany about the year 1717. They were so-called high schools, in which certain district officials were the teachers. At first these schools were self-supporting; later, under the patronage of the Government, they were made "State forest schools," or "Academies." Thus forest academies were established at Dreissigacker in 1801; Tharanadt, in 1816; Nelsungen, in 1816; Aschaffenburg, in 1820; Hohenheim, in 1820; and Eisenach, in 1830. To each of these academies three professors were detailed for duty-one to instruct in forest economy, one in natural history and science, and one in mathematics. In Baden forest cultu re was added to the list of subjects studied in the polytechnic institute at Carlsruhe in 1832, and in 1838 the same was done at Brunswick. A chair of forestry was established at the University of Giessen in 1825, and later also at Heidelberg, Munich, Tübingen, and Leipsic.

From 1770, on the proposition of Minister Von Hagen, lectures were delivered on forest botany at Berlin, and excursions into the forests were made for the purpose of examining on the spot the subjects treated in the lectures. In 1821 a forest academy was established at Berlin, in connection with the university there. This academy was in 1830 removed to Eberswalde, where it now is. The course of study at this academy is as follows:

1. Forest culture in general; method of forest appraisement; the manner of keeping and rendering accounts of income received from, and expenditures made on account of, forests.

2. Protection of forests; utilization of same and huntsmanship.

3. History of forest culture and statistics relative to same.

4. Geodesy and drafting.

5. Mathematics, physics, and mechanics.

6. Botany.

7. Zoology and entomology.

8. Mineralogy, geology, and chemistry.

9. Prussian civil and criminal law.

Profits of Forest Culture.-The following table is made up from official sources as given by Mr. Zimmerman, for the year ending March 31, 1881, and relates only to the state forests of Prussia, which include about half the forests of that country, about 10,000,000 acres:

Estimated receipts for year ending March 31, 1881:

From wood...
Other sources.

$10, 558, 666 67

Total receipts..

Estimated expenditures:

For salaries, cost of cutting and transporting wood,

repairing of forest roads, etc..

Thus leaving a net income of....

1,465, 142 86

12,023, 809 53

$7,234, 833 34

4,788, 976 19

In 1880 the Prussian forestry corps consisted of 1 chief general master forester, 3 general master foresters, 3 chief master foresters, 1 forest director in Hanover, 93 master foresters, 685 chief foresters, 3,354 district foresters, 356 forest keepers, and 70 other minor officials. These facts and figures indicate the care of the Prussian Government for her forests; and the result is that through all the trying vicissitudes of her national life she has preserved the fertility of soil and climatic conditions indispensable to material prosperity, has reclaimed and rendered a source of profit vast areas of worse than worthless sand dunes and barrens, and has fostered one of the most important economic sources of a nation's greatness and perpetuity.

The application of forestry science is perhaps better illustrated in Prussia than in any other country, since it has there grown to a completer system, although the history of the development of this science in the other countries in Europe is full of interest and instruction for us. But this reference to Prussian forestry is sufficient for our purposes in this paper.

Some of the more important conclusions regarding the influence of forests, as based upon scientific investigations and careful and extensive observations, may be briefly summed up as follows:

1. The forests exercise an influence upon the climate of a country. They modify the extremes of temperature, and tend to prevent sudden changes which prove injurious to fruits and crops.

2. They have a decided influence upon the water supply of a country. Clear the forests from the valleys and head-waters of streams and rivers, and those water courses, perennial before, become dry in summer, and raging, destructive torrents in spring-time or during the melting of snow and ice and the rainy season; and these conditions obtain in proportion as the forests are cut beyond an adequate reserve.

3. Forests exert a beneficial influence upon agriculture, by forming a wall of protection to the growing crops when most needed.

4. Growing forests on mountain side and steep declivities hold the loose soil and accumulating humus in place, and prevent that erosion from rushing waters which not only leaves the hill and Laountain sides barren wastes, but destroys the rich valleys below by the accumulated débris.

5. Forests in adequate areas tend to preserve the healthfulness of a country or district by their influence upon the surrounding atmosphere. 6. Forest products afford the most indispensable and necessary economic elements in the industries and prosperity of a nation. The total value of the forest product of the United States for the census year of 1880 was estimated at $700,000,000, and this has been rapidly growing since.

These propositions are established by abundant evidence in forest literature, and, I think I can safely add, are confirmed by the experience and observation of a large proportion of our fellow-citizens who have passed the meridian of life and have been interested in the study of Nature's laws.

If these things are true, then it is safe to assert that the future growth, prosperity, and greatness of this Republic depend as much upon the forests, their conservation and proper distribution, as upon any other of Nature's gifts found either in or upon the earth; and these facts and principles should not be omitted in the education of the people, and especially of the rising generation.

To be sure, different conditions obtain with reference to forest management and products in the monarchical governments of Europe from what exist in free America. There the Governments own a much larger percentage of the forest area than here, and these Governments can, and in some cases do, control and direct the management of private forests whenever and wherever deemed necessary for the public good. Here the land-owner is the absolute controller of his forests, and selfinterest decides whether they shall stand or fall, while the Government is holding its 85,000,000 acres of forest lands for sale and homestead exemption, regardless of their value to internal commerce or their influence upon the climate and healthfulness of the country, or to the future economic needs of the people. But I trust a wiser policy will soon prevail on the part of the National Government, and that such portions of these forest areas as the public good demands will be forever set aside and perpetually devoted to forest growth.

The time has come for the people of America to consider seriously this great forestry interest, and for the rising generation to be trained into a right appreciation of the value of our forests to the present and future needs of the nation. And how can this best be done? What better and surer avenues are opened for this instruction than the public schools? "A government of the people, for the people, and by the

people" depends for its wisdom and perpetuity upon the widespread intelligence that comes through the universal training given in the common schools.

But how shall the subject of forestry be introduced into our American system of education? At present there seems to be no demand for trained foresters as there is in Europe, and no employment for scientific graduates in this special branch; and a technical school of forestry like those of Europe, where the graduates at once find employment in the government service or in the management of private forests, would offer here few attractions to young men preparing for a professional career. Such schools will come later. Now I would introduce forestral instruction into every common school by the same methods that are employed in teaching the elements of the so-called natural sciences, by familiar talks, illustrated by the living, beautiful objects in surrounding nature, inspiring a love for trees and a desire to know more and more of them and about them. And what subjects for inspiration are the trees of the orchard and the forest! I feel with Lowell when he sings:

"I care not how men trace their ancestry,

To Ape or Adam; let them please their whim;

But I, in June, am midway to believe

A tree among my far progenitors

Such sympathy is mine with all the race."

There are two methods by which the pupil is led into the knowledge of a science-one through the memorizing of dry facts from the text-book or the blackboard, the other through arousing an interest in the subject and leading to original investigation of the veritable objects of which the science treats. The one smothers the imagination and blunts the faculties by overloading the mind with a vocabulary of meaningless words. The other excites to activity the inquiring faculties, and leads step by step to a sure and broad growth from the roots to the various ramifying branches of the science taught. There is no branch of learning so adapted to varied and practical illustration in and around the school-house as the study of trees, none through which æsthetic and moral culture can be more attractively and readily given, or more valuable and practical knowledge gained.

Consider for a moment how easily an interest can be awakened in fruit trees and their wonderful variety of products, their habits of growth, the methods of improving them, their adaptability to climate, and their usefulness to man; the nut-bearing trees of the field and the wood, with their varied characteristics; the trees of the lawn and the landscape, and the beauty they add to the surrounding nature in contrast with the treeless yards and naked fields; and then the waving forests with their wealth of product for the innumerable economic uses of man, not the least of which is their protecting influence upon the climate and health-conditions, upon drought and flood, and upon the growing crops of the fields.