1042 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



mwiJliliB i , . rag^q 



CVl'RIiSS KMilC USED AS A FLOWER JAUDEMICKIC 



they could be utilized. At present they are occasionally 

 used locally for rustic furniture such as lawn tables and 

 benches, but no extensive use has been made of them. 



An accompanying photograph shows how cypress 

 knees have been utilized for flower jardinieres at the 

 Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Many 

 other similar uses might be made of them and a number 

 of such uses are indicated in the other illustration. 



The principal difficulty experienced in making such 

 articles is in properly drying the knees. They generally 

 check badly, but with a demand for them well estab- 

 lished, some satisfactory method of treatment an<l sea- 

 soning might certainly be perfected. 



THE FIRST TOWN FOREST 



FITCHBURG, Mass., claims to be the first mun 

 nicipality in the country to have officially set 

 aside under a State law an area whicli is not 

 connected in any way with its parks or water supply 

 system for the express purpose of growing trees for 

 profit. The action of the city government was taken in 

 accordance with the Town Forest Law — known as the 

 Pulilic nomain Act of liH.'! — by which cities and towns 

 within the Commonwealth may own, control an<l operate 

 forests. For this purpose, four tracts aggregating 105 

 acres in extent have been set apart to be known and used 

 as ;i Tdwn Forest. These tracts contain 50, 31. 16 and 8 

 acres, respectiyelv. .About one-fourth of this land is 



now covered with wliite pine rangmg in age from 20 to 

 60 years. The remainder is cut-over land, now partly 

 covered with sprout growth so common in Massachusetts. 



The city forester, Mr. ]*age S. Bunker, will prepare 

 W(.irking plans for this area and the planting of the cut- 

 over land to white pine will begin next spring. Mr. 

 Bunker was connected for many years with the United 

 States Forest Service and is ably fitted to develop an 

 efficient forest for the city. He has been in his present 

 position Ijut a few months. 



This action l)y the city guvernment was insjjired 

 chiefly by the I'ark Commissinn, and the Fitchburg 

 Branch of the Massachusetts h'orestry Association. A 

 petition was presented by the chairman ui the I'ark 

 Commission, Dr. U. S. Woodworth, asking that this land 

 Ije utilized as a Town Forest. It was supported at the 

 hearing by the president of the I'.ranch -Association. I Ion. 

 Frank C). 1 lardy, an ex-mayor. Fitchburg was the first 

 niuniciiJality in the State to organize a local branch of the 

 State Association and the sentiment fur ci mservation is 

 very strong. 



W bile this is a very feeble beginning tmvard tlie es- 

 taldishment of an efficient Town Forest, it is tremen- 

 dciusly significant in view of the fact that it is the l)e- 

 ginning of nne of the greatest movements for conser\a- 

 til in ever started in this cijuntry. Town Forests are 

 111 Html to increase in number and area very rapidly since 

 the pul)lic is becoming alive to their wonderful possi- 

 l>ilities and practical advantages. There are nine States 

 that already have laws permitting towns and cities to 

 create and manage their own forests. 



A great many cities and towns throughout the country 

 are practicing scientific forestry to a greater or less de- 

 gree on lands owned by the municipality, but in every 

 case so f;ir as we knuw, this work has been done in 

 connection with the puldic parks or for the purpose of 

 protecting the water sni)i)ly. In other words, the matter 

 of timber production has always been a secondar\- 

 consideratidU. 



Thrnugli the interest which has been created in Town 

 Forests in .Massachusetts, b}- the Massachusetts Forestry 

 Associatii m, it is believed that many such forests will be 

 started in .Mas.sachusetts. The Association has oft'ered 

 to plant fifty acres to white pine, in the Town Forest of 

 the city or town which makes the best showing in the 

 establishment of such a forest this \ear. This prize, 

 which consists of 60,000 three-year-old white pine trans- 

 jjlants, is well worth striving for and is creating a keen 

 competitiiin. 



Ten entries nnist ha\e been made before the i)rize 

 will be awarded. To enter the contest, at least one hun- 

 dred acres must be, officially, set aside as a town forest 

 under the new town forest law and fifty acres of this 

 area must either be planted to trees or already contain 

 fi;>rest growth of commercial species. If the contest 

 succeeds, there will be over 1.000 acres of Town Forest 

 in the State, and a half or more of it will be covered with 

 timber-producing trees, ll is a small beginning of a very 

 big and important nidvement. 



