their policies and are now doing all in their power to aid forest
conservation.

The ability of a properly managed forest to produce new crops of
trees year after year promises us a future supply of wood
sufficient for all our needs if only we will conserve our
timberlands as they deserve. It is our duty to handle the
forests in the same way that fertile farming fields are managed.
That is to say, they should be so treated that they will yield a
profitable money crop every year without reducing their powers of
future production. Private owners and farmers are coming slowly
to realize the grave importance of preserving and extending our
woodlands. The public, the State and the Nation are now solidly
behind the movement to improve our forestry and to safe-guard
our forests. Several of the States, including New York and
Pennsylvania, have purchased large areas of timberlands for State
forests. These will be developed as future sources of lumber
supply.

CHAPTER III

FORESTS AND FLOODS

Forests are necessary at the headwaters of streams. The trees
break the force of the rain drops, and the forest floor, acting
as a large sponge, absorbs rainfall and prevents run-off and
floods. Unless there are forests at the sources of streams and
rivers, floods occur. The spring uprisings of the Mississippi,
Ohio and Missouri Rivers are due largely to the lack of forests
at their headwaters. In the regions drained by these streams the
run-off water is not absorbed as it should be. It flows unimpeded
from the higher levels to the river valleys. It floods the river
courses with so much water that they burst their banks and pour
pell-mell over the surrounding country. Many floods which occur
in the United States occur because we have cut down large areas
of trees which formerly protected the sources of streams and
rivers.

A grave danger that threatens western farming is that some time
in the future the greater part of the vegetation and forest cover
on the watersheds of that section may entirely disappear. Such a
condition would cause floods after every heavy rain. The
available supplies of rainwater which are needed for the thirsty
crops would be wasted as flood waters. These floods would cause
great damage in the valleys through which they rushed. The
freshets would be followed by periods of water famine. The
streams would then be so low that they could not supply the
normal demands. Farmers would suffer on account of th