STATE WORK 



759 



Idaho Experimental Stations 



In order to become more familiar with 

 the growth and reproducing of white pine 

 timber, the bureau of forestry has estab- 

 lisher an experiment station in the Kaniksu 

 National forest, Idaho. The station is lo- 

 cated at the Benton ranger station and con- 

 sists of a large building to be used for ex- 

 perimental work, a well-equipped laboratory, 

 a greenhouse and a residence for the super- 

 visor in charge. The station has been con- 

 structed under the supervision of R. Zuni of 

 the bureau of civics, with headquarters at 

 Washington, D. C. 



The station will be under the direction of 

 Donald R. Brewster, formerly of the Bear- 

 tooth and St. Joe National forests and one 

 of the best-known men in forest work in the 

 northwest. 



It is the idea of the department to become 

 more familiar with the planting, growing and 

 reproducing of whue pine timber character- 

 istic of this section. During the last few 

 years the national forests of the west have 

 to some extent been burned over, and it is 

 the intention of the department to replant 

 many acres of the burned-over areas, if ex- 

 periments prove practicable. For this purpose 

 they have already collected many thousands 

 of bushels of white pine cones, which will 

 be used in reseeding. Over 30,000 bushels 

 will be collected this year to be used next 

 season. 



The station will also be used by the de- 

 partment of plant biology to determine causes 

 and remedies for diseases that infest the for- 

 est trees in this and other localities. That 

 the station is a permanent structure is evi- 

 denced by the stability of the structures. If 

 this new venture is a success other experi- 

 ment stations will be constructed in the west. 



countries. The government of New Zealand 

 has tried it with success. About 1,100 pris- 

 oners have been taken to camps up in the 

 wilderness, staying for a few weeks at a 

 time, and in course of the work 22,000,000 

 young trees have been placed. 



Encouraging Tree Planting 



Very few Duchess County, N. Y., land 

 owners have taken advantage of the offer 

 of the state of New York to supply young 

 forest trees at a cost of only $4 per thou- 

 sand, says the Poughkeepsie, N. Y., News- 

 Press. The state is very anxious to induce 

 owners of untillablc soil to plant these trees, 

 which consist largely of varieties of the pine 

 family. 



George H. Sherman, cashier of the Farm- 

 er's and Manufacturer's Bank, whose coun- 

 try place is on the South Road, has set out 

 several hundred of these trees, obtained from 

 the state's nurseries in the northern part of 

 the state. They all seem to thrive. The 

 specimens are larch, spruce, fir and long leaf 

 pine. In his pretty bungalow estate, Mr. 

 Sherman will soon have these young forest 

 specimens ready to take their places in the 

 extension of his present grove, and in re- 

 placing any old trees that die or fall in 

 storms. 



The state has 11,000,000 trees to send out. 



The question of using prisoners in the 

 work of reforestation is agitating many 



A Big Project 



New Jersey State Forester Gaskill in 

 speaking of the agreement he has concluded 

 with former United States Senator John F. 

 Dryden, and A. R. Kuser, for the develop- 

 ment of the forests which they have recently 

 acquired on the Kittatinny Mountain where 

 no less than 100,000 evergreen trees will be 

 planted next spring, says further planting 

 will require at least 500,000 trees. Mr. Gas- 

 kill says : — 



" Along with the planting, active work in 

 the existing forests will be undertaken, 

 chiefly by means of improvement fellings 

 through which the worthless material now 

 standing and some that is mature will be 

 removed and opportunity given for the es- 

 tablishment of an economic forest. Other 

 plans already under way include the making 

 of a deer park of about 3,000 acres and the 

 construction of a complete road system by 

 which access will be given to every part of 

 the property both for pleasure and for the 

 removal of forest products. The roads will 

 also be laid out with a view to affording se- 

 curity against forest fires and a complete 

 fire protective system will be organized. 



"Mr. Dryden's and Mr. Kuser's object in 

 acquiring this property and undertaking to 

 develop it is only partly to maintain an es- 

 tate for their own pleasure, or to watch a 

 forest grow. They have in mind the re- 

 demption of a considerable tract of wild 

 land from the neglect and abuse into which 

 it has fallen and believe that their venture 

 will prove a good investment. 



"The state forester, on behalf of the For- 

 est Commission, welcomes this opportunity 

 to bring so large an area of woodland under 

 practical management. It is one more proof 

 that the policv of the commission is a rea- 

 sonable one; that is, if individuals can be 

 encouraged to handle their woodland under 

 the direction of foresters there will be no 

 need to acquire a large state forest. The 

 state will need more forests than it now 

 owns, but in general the public possessions 

 can be restricted to tracts having peculiar 

 value as demonstration forests, for water 

 control, etc. Thus, the greatest possible good 

 to the whole community may be attained. 

 In other words, right management of forest 

 lands is the thing we strive for, state owner- 

 ship is only a means, and unless State owner- 

 ship leads to better management than private 

 ownership there is no advantage in it. 



"So far as the public is concerned, it is an- 

 nounced that while hunting will be entirely 

 prohibited on these properties and mischief 

 of all kinds controlled, all orderly people will 

 have as free use of them in every other man- 

 ner as heretofore." 



