these trees are more than 4000 years old.
They stood here when our forefathers were still savages and lived in
trees or caves. Much of the region where these trees are found has now
been reserved as a park. If the lumberman had been allowed to get at
them, they would have soon been gone forever.

[Illustration: _George J. Young_
Uncle Sam has preserved both forests and water power.]

It is far more difficult to destroy completely most of the species of
forest trees than it is to destroy the species of animals and birds. We
can cut down the trees and in some cases they will grow again from
sprouts. Many will hide away in remote places and furnish seed for new
forests.

The animals as well as the plants have had a long history. They have had
a harder struggle than the plants, because many of them prey upon one
another. We often dig up the skeletons of strange animals unlike any now
living. These must have all been killed long ago. Each species or kind
of animal now living must have come off victorious in the struggle with
its enemies.

Does it not seem a heartless thing for us, who call ourselves civilized,
to destroy so completely any species of animal or plant that not one of
its kind remains alive? No species which we destroy will ever come back
again, and its place will always remain empty. There are a few predatory
animals and birds that destroy vast numbers of useful ones. We should
keep these in check by every means in our power, but for our thoughtless
destruction of the valuable ones the world will always be poorer.

What of the mineral treasures hidden away in the earth? Will these be
replaced when once they have all been used up? It took Nature a very
long time to make coal out of the vegetation which had gathered in some
ancient swamp. It took her fully as long to make the oil and gas from
the bodies of the little organisms that once lived in the sea.

The bodies of the little creatures from which oil is made are still
gathering upon the bottom of the sea, and there are many swamps where we
find vegetation and peat accumulating. But it is a long story from these
substances to oil and coal. I am afraid we should get tired of waiting
for Nature to make a new supply.

Gold, silver, copper, and other minerals, so useful to us, are found in
very small quantities scattered throughout most of the solid rocks of
the earth. It would be impossible for us to obtain these from rocks,
because there is so littl