1908 



ANNUAL REPORT OF DIRECTORS 



157 



New Jersey has appointed a State 

 Forester who assists private land own- 

 ers, instructs teachers and farmers, 

 and co-operates with the State fire 

 warden and with the Forest Park Res- 

 ervation Commission. The Forester is 

 also planting extensively. Last sum- 

 mer the Forest Commission bought 

 5,400 acres of forest on the Kitta- 

 tinny Mountains to add to the State re- 

 serves. The Commission has estab- 

 lished the policy of employing the 

 State forests to produce lumber, as 

 well as to be used for parks. Subse- 

 quent additions in Warren. Burling- 

 ton, and Atlantic Counties have been 

 made. The State now has 7,438 acres 

 set apart for State forest purposes. 

 The State is struggling with the prob- 

 lem of so taxing forest lands as to en- 

 courage their permanent holding for 

 repeated crops. The State Forest 

 Council, the outgrowth of a commit- 

 tee on forestry appointed forty years 

 ago by the West \lneland Farm Club, 

 assists in forestry propaganda and 

 education. 



Pennsylvania is planting industri- 

 ously. The last legislature passed a 

 law to provide for the planting and 

 care of shade trees on all the highways 

 of the Commonwealth, in town or 

 country. An important fire prevention 

 law was also enacted. The State is en- 

 deavoring to protect its forests by a 

 rational taxation method ; its tax ex- 

 emption law, however, designed to 

 equalize taxes for owners of timber- 

 lands, has been declared unconstitu- 

 tional. The State reserves now amount 

 to about 830.000 acres. 



Delaware's Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station has requested the Forest 

 Service to make a study of forest con- 

 ditions in the State, and to work out a 

 State forest policy. 



Maryland's forester lectures and 

 does field work. The Governor ap- 

 points forest wardens to work under 

 the forester. In co-operation .with 

 the Maryland Experiment Station, 

 the forester has established a nursery 

 at College Park. The State is build- 

 ing up a system of reserves ; these are 

 being enlarged by private gifts. 



West Virginia is contemplating the 

 enactment of a forestry law. In Oc- 

 tober the State Board of Trade called 

 together an important meeting at Elk- 

 ins to consider the forest resources 

 and interests of the State. 



In Kentucky the State Board of 

 Agriculture, Forestry and Immigra- 

 tion, in co-operation with the Forest 

 Service, is investigating the forest re- 

 sources of the State. A comprehen- 

 sive report has been submitted to the 

 State Board concerning all the terri- 

 tory drained by the Big Sandy and 

 Little Sandy Rivers and Tagert Creek. 

 The work will be resumed next spring. 



Mississippi, like Kentucky, is co-op- 

 erating with the Forest Service in a 

 study of the forest conditions of the 

 State. A preliminary report regarding 

 the long leaf pine region and a pro- 

 ])osed fire law will be laid before the 

 Legislature at its present session. 



Alabama is co-operating with the 

 Forest Service in testing timbers. 

 The State has recently enacted a com- 

 prehensive and noteworthy forestry 

 law, providing for a State Forestry 

 Commission, which has held its first 

 meeting and organized. 



Indiana's Forest Commission is 

 studying the natural and planted for- 

 ests of the State, and pulDlishing the 

 results. Tree planting is in progress. 

 The question of relieving young tim- 

 ber from taxation is also under dis- 

 cussion. 



In Ohio the forestry department of 

 the State Agricultural Experiment 

 Station co-operates in tree planting 

 with the farmers. The Governor of 

 the State warns the Legislature of the 

 disappearance of the forests and urges 

 appropriate legislation. 



Michigan is becoming thoroughly 

 aroused to the importance of reforest- 

 ation. Great good was accomplished 

 by the recent meeting at Saginaw. A 

 commission of inquiry has recently 

 been appointed to report to the Legis- 

 lature of 1908 a definite forest and land 

 policy for Michigan. The Constitu- 

 tional Convention appointed a commit- 

 tee on forestry and sent it to the meet- 

 ing at Saginaw. 



