The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-26
AMMAN SPARE THE TREE
OR HEW THE RAPIDLY DISAPPEAR.
ING FORESTS WITH DISCRETION.
Secretary Wilson'S Address at a Sec
tfOnal Meeting of a Conven-
ton of American Scientists.

NEW YORK. June e5.-The American
Association for the Advancement of
Science. which is composed of sixteen af-
fliated societies, opened its forty-ninth
annual meeting to-day in Havemeyer Hall.
Columbia University. Two of the afhl-
lated organizations-the American Chem
ical Society and the American Forestry As
ISOLATION. are at the same time holding
their annual sessions. Other of the af-
fliated societies will convene tomorrow
and the last of the series of meetings will
be that of the Society for the Promotion
of Engineering Education. on July 2. The
general session of the association was
called to order by the retiring president,
G.. X. Gilbert. of Washington, d. c., who
introduced the delegates to the president
elect. Prof. E, S. Woodward, who made a
brief address. President Seth Low. of Co.
lumbia University. next addressed the dele
gates.
The Hon. James Wilson. secretary of ag-
rlcuiture, who is president Of the Ameri-
can Forestry Association, occupied the
chair at the opening session of that organ
ization. In an address he said i'm mart.
I'VE have not given sufficient attention to
the growing things in field and forest, nor
the influence exerted upon the field by the
forest. Heavy expectations of grain and
lumber are regarded by superficial obser-
vers as the best evidence of national pros
perity, while closer inquiry will discover
soil exhaustion, and the loss of ability to
retain moisture on hill and plain. AS en-
lightenment among men advances with the
centuries we fell trees. regardless of the
consequences. Our government policy
OF giving the land to the people
has facilitated this warfare on the
trees. II seems a pity TO us now
that reserves were not made by
the government Of whatever kind, from
sea TO sea. especially on high ATTITUDES
where rivers rise, or such shallow soils
that cannot endure the sun, on broken
lands that forbid the pillow, and the like,
but reflection excuses us from wondering;
II Is nearly impossible now to save a tree
n~orthwardly, s~outhwardly and westwardly.
woods; two decades or less will exhaust
our primitive forests of building woods.
THE worlds history admonishes us TO
preserve forests where We have them and
plant them where there are none. There
is a useful and engrossing field here for
the student and a gracious work for the
lover OF his kind. The educated forester
has work to do in this speciality that will
be helpful to the people. the soil physicist
has work to do that will be helpful to the
producers. the educators have work to do.
too long neglected, and in this connection
we will rejoice at the Pinchot endowment
of a school of forestry at Yale, that will
give us axmen in future who will chop
with discretion, and plant with intelli-
| gence."
Papers were read by Henry Gannett.
chief hydrogra pher of the United States
geological survey; J. ". Youman. super
intendent of tree planting in the division of
forestry; T~readwell Cleveland. OF the d.
vision of forestry. and others. Judson N.
Cross. president of tie Minnesota Board of
| Forestry. though unable to attend the meet
ing in person, sen. a paper on the min
nesota Forestry Plan" F.. A. Stewart.
| chief inspector of Canadian forestry. sent
a paper entitled. Notes on Forestry i'm
| Canada" John Craig. professor of horti-
culture and forestry in the Iowa AgricuI-
tural College. gave a paper on the "Hardi-
ness of Forest Trees as Influenced by
| Climate"