SAN DTKCO'S MUXICIPAT. l'r)Ki.:sT. 



430 



(Juring- the spring of 191 "?, making tluxe 

 hundred acres now in trees. These 

 trees will make a growth of about eight 

 feet per year, and in three years' time 

 should be of sufficient dimension to be 

 available for fence posts. At this time 

 the trees will be thinned, leaving not 

 more than two hundred trees per acre 

 to come to maturity as timber trees. 



It was not until the active develop- 

 ment of this land had been undertaken 

 that its actual value for various usages 

 was appreciated. It was seen that, 

 lying as the greater portion does, with 

 the mountains on one side and the 

 Pacific on the other, with the rapid 

 growth of the city this land would soon 

 become reservable as sites for subur- 

 ban homes. Many acres are also well 

 adapted to intensive farming for the 

 growing of small fruits and vegetables 

 and could be subdivided and leased for 

 this purpose to good advantage. A 

 good portion of this agricultural land 

 has been planted to grain for the use 

 of the farm stock and that of the dif- 

 ferent departments of the city. For 

 this reason it was decided to confine 

 the planting to that portion of the land 

 not so well suited to general argicul- 

 tural or building purposes. As far ts 

 possible the planting will be confined 

 to the canyons and hillsides, and the 

 less valuable land. In planting on the 

 steep canyon sides it is impossible to 

 follow the method described, but as far 

 as the land will permit the fullest prep- 



aration will be given. Practically all 

 the land sd far ])]anlc(l is under culti- 

 vation. 



The development of a Alimicipal 

 Forest and Farm afforded a splendid 

 opportunity for the city to take steps 

 toward solving some of its most vexing 

 social problems. 



The idea first advanced was for the 

 institution of a plant for sending the 

 vagrants and habitual drunkards of the 

 city to the farm on probation for a term 

 of a few months ; the drunks to first 

 be given a drug cure to eliminate as 

 far as possible the desire for drink. A 

 camp was first established, however, 

 mainly for relieving the unemployed of 

 the city, although many have been sent 

 from the Police Court. The men have 

 been given employment, each at fifty 

 cents per day and board. This plan 

 has proven a complete success in every 

 particular. Hundreds of men have 

 been benefited by the clean, wholesome 

 work afforded, and all the planting this 

 spring has been done with this labor 

 with good results. It is doubtful if a 

 better plan could be devised for the 

 solution of these problems in any city 

 than the establishment of a Municipal 

 Forest and Farm, and the employment 

 of these men under such a plan. A Mu- 

 nicipal Forest is a good business in- 

 vestment, and the useful employment 

 of a class that has to be supported by 

 the city directly or indirectly is also a 

 good investment for the taxpayer. 



LUMBERMEN HELP FORESTERS. 



IV. T. Cox, Minnesota state forester, reports that co-operation received from lumber- 

 men in the northern part of the state has been such as to do away zi'ith forest fire dangers. 

 He said that toivn officials and residents hare also assisted. The /irar'.v rains of the spring 

 have done much to keep fires from starting in the ivoods. 



FOREST PRODUCT STATISTICS. 



The Forest Product Statistics of New York State for the year 1911, gathered by the 

 Conservation Comniission, shozv that the lumber and pulpivood output e.vceeded tliat of the 

 preceding year, but that there zvas a falling off in wood used for alcohol, e.vcelsior and 

 cooperage. 



The output cf the forests in 1910 showed a decrease of 25 per cent from that of 1908; 

 decline of about 300,000,000 feet in three years. The annual removal of about one billion 

 feet of wood material from the forests and woodlands of the state cannot go on indefinitely 

 without reforestation on a large scale. 



