INDIANA HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 55 Y 



trees. But there is not a more fundamental movement affecting tlie 

 industrial, economic, climatic and ornamental welfare of the state than it. 

 By reason of Indiana's unexcelled hardwood lumber and timber supply 

 in past years there are within the state today, in active operation, 940 

 woodworking establishments emploj'iug 39,672 persons. In addition, 

 caused by other resources in the state, there are 2,746 establishments 

 which use lumber and timber more or less in the getting out of their prod- 

 ducts of manufacture. Besides these enormous demands for the timber 

 which now exists there are nearly 200 coal mines, more than 1,000 gas 

 and oil wells using a large amount of lumber and timber in various ways 

 in their operation. 



Of the nearly 19,000,000 acres of unsurpassed hardwoods which was 

 nature's existing gift to Indiana, not more than three-quarters of a 

 century ago there now remains but about 1-75 of that amount, and not 

 more than 1-16 of this fractional part possesses merchantable timber 

 such as the manufacturing institutions are seeking and must have. 



The large manufacturing industiy, the great productiveness of the 

 soil for the larger part, the thickened population now energetically em- 

 ployed, together with the depleted forest supply in sight furnish a fine 

 problem for economic solution. These manufacturing industries to con- 

 tinue in existence must have the material with which to operate. If 

 it does not exist within the state then it must be imported or the 

 industry exported, which fact will be determined by the corporation 

 from the standpoint of its own financial interests. If the material supply 

 becomes exhausted the industry will cease. The timber supply within 

 the state is small and but little effort has heretofore been made to save 

 and replenish it. It can not be manufactured. It must grow. Not all 

 the uses of wood can be substituted. Wood is a necessary product in 

 the general industries, and hence the logical forestry movement. 



The large population demands that the rich agricultural lands shall 

 b^ devoted to agriculture to supply the daily living necessities. The 

 tiller of the soil wants the returns from his land quick, and hence he 

 will not indulge, if he possess rich land, largely in forestiy, because of 

 its remoteness of return, even if he made more and easier money. Hence 

 the forestry problem in Indiana. The industries must have wood, and the 

 cheap unfit lands for good agricultm-e must grow the trees to supply 

 the demand, and thus leave the rich agriculture lands to sustain the 

 population with the products of living. The cheap lands will grow the 

 timber if devoted to it systematically. The timber will keep the indus- 

 tries, the industries Avill employ the people, and the people will demand 

 the agricultural products of the farmer to live upon, and thus a com- 

 plete division of labor of such auxiliary relations within our state that 

 even a dyed-in-the-wool pessimist cannot but admire them. 



I do not present this thought to you as a phantom to scare you or 

 to hold up to you that upon forestry depends the ultimate and absolute 



