The times., 1899-11-12
Forestry and IL Ises.


forestry lately established in Cornell Uni
versity is progressing finely. II completed
its first year OF existence last June. The
I department is really a State Institution, and
a tract of thirty thousand acres in the
Adirondacks has been set aside for ex-
pertinent and its use assigned TO the col
! lege for thirty years.
It would be a good thing if State and
other universities all over the land adopted
/ this idea. If there is any one science in
I which the country should be especially in
/ terested in the next two or three genera
tions, 1t is forestry; for the preservation of
/ our woodlands is Of the utmost Importance
TO America from every point Of view Prac-
tically no attention has been paid to this
N the past and the result of public in
/ difference has been wholesale destruction
/ This has been followed in many cases by a
! decrease IA the productiveness Of the land
/ about the forests, and sometimes by an
actual change in the climate which is not
4 for the better. 1t will be much easier to
save our forests than to plant trees to take
their places after those now standing have
fallen victims to the cupidity of specu-
lators
This work is one for which trained col
lege men are peculiarly fitted. There are
not TOO many places for such men. and
they are already overcrowding the pro-
fessions. It is of Importance that they be
given work which they can do better than
anyone else, if possible that so the time
and money spent in their training may not
be lost to themselves and the country
/ There are many such men who have scien-
! thc tastes, a fondness for out-of- door life.
+ and an esthetic appreciation Of the beau
I ties Of nature which would make them the
/ best possible guardians of the forests. They
would bring 10 such work not only knowl-
edge but enthusiasm and executive abiI-
4 ity and-what is not a matter Of slight
I importance-in the majority Of cases they
would not be eOrrupible. One of the good
things in college life is that if man is
( self-respecting and has a sense OF honor
these traits are encouraged for four years
/ He is not forced into deceit and meanness
/ by the exigencies Of making living, and
every incentive is held forth to him to be
/ honest, upright, and independent Most
/ college men have no use. as they would
say, for coward or a sneak It is TO be
/ feared that too many men in the world
/ Of business have use for both. especially in
the lower grades of business The ward
politician who should secure a job in the
department Of forestry by means OF a
pull" might be bribed; the college man
who took UP the work from a genuine
love Of science and out-of-door life, could
rarely be approached in that way.
Again, a position of this kind might in
time result in some valuable scientific dis
coveries. Many bright young fellow
would find in it opportunity TO pursue
studies Of animal and plant life and OF
geological formations, which could not but
end in some contribution, large or small,
to the knowledge OF the world. And that
also Is worth considering, if we are 10 wish.
as good Americans. that our country may
bear of the palm in all departments Of the
worlds work. We can do nothing better,
in fact, for the next fifty years, than to
train scientists. We have enough Latin
and Greek scholars. enough theoiogians
f
uses: but the scientist can do more to de-
velop this country in the way in which it
should 90 than any OF these just at the
present formative period We need the
scientific habit of thought to develop our
4 new social system; the accuracy. patience,
+ iiberality and perseverance OF the scientist
to counteract the bigotry, superfciality,
. and versatile Nghtness found in various
elements OF our very mixed population
+ We need men who can help us adapt our
1 selves to the world in which we live, 80
( that We may get the greatest possible good
out Of opportunities unprecedented in the
worlds history. Let US not go on reck-
/ lessly destroying our own wealth because
I there is so much Of it. Future generations
have some rights in our forests and other
natural and commercial advantages.