416 



ARBORICULTURE 



will pay cash for the oak and walnut, a 

 lower price for others and totally refuse 

 the great majorit}- of trees. If all were 

 yellow poplar or oak, ash or walnut the 

 demand would be far greater and prices 

 obtained more remunerative. Thus arti- 

 ficial plantations are more profitable 

 when all are of one kind of timber. Ev- 

 ery worthless tree or those of little value 

 occupy space which should be producing 

 more important timber. 



Taxation of Forests. 



The various State governments are 

 largely responsible for the loss of the 

 forests, the value of which, for climatic 

 effect, and for future manufacturing in- 

 dustries, it yet too little understood. 



The assessment of forest property, 

 where it is held especially for this pur- 

 pose, should be upon a very iow basis. 

 It is unjust to the people who will come 

 after us, and who must build upon the 

 foundation which this generation is 

 erecting, that the forests are being sac- 

 rificed ; and to a large extent this is a 

 result of excessive taxation upon forest 

 lands without affording adequate pro- 

 tection to this class of property. 



The Indiana law, which provides that 

 forests shall be assessed for taxation at 

 a specific and low valuation, is the true 

 method of taxing timber lands. This 

 law may be found on Page 142, Febru- 

 ary Arboriculture. By a proper effort, 

 of the lumbermen of any State proper 

 legislation can be secured to encourage 

 and promote forest holdings. 



Replanting Forest Larids. 



The sandy lands of P^lorida were but 

 recently covered with a fine body of yel- 

 low pine. The practice of the early set- 

 tlers of burning of the annual vegeta- 

 tion in order to have fresh grass for 

 stock, totally destroyed all young 

 growths; hence new pine forests can not 



exist. The boxing for turnentine has 

 not been conducive to forest perpetua- 

 tion, as the trees are being slowly killed 

 by the process. 



The average crops, always certain so 

 long as surrounding forests kept off ex- 

 cessive frosts, and the early market gar- 

 dens protected by the woodlands have 

 been gradually becoming more precari- 

 ous as the lands become denuded. 



These should be restored wherever the 

 lands are not needed for cultivation. 

 Such lands, if seeded, naturally or plant- 

 ed, will produce pine timber; although 

 possibly some other trees will be more 

 quickly profitable. 



The ]\Iichigan pine barrens, after re- 

 moval of the timber, have very little 

 Avorth. There is ample moisture in 

 Northern INIichigan to insure good tree 

 growth, and there are other varieties of 

 timber which will succeed on these lands. 



Now that wood pulp is in such de- 

 mand, extensive tracts of poplars should 

 be planted. If the common cottonwood 

 will not succeed there are many other 

 forms of the populus family which may 

 be grown profitably. The Abele is of 

 quick growth, easily propagated, re- 

 quires little attention while growing, 

 and makes good paper. 



The poor, sandy soils would be greatly 

 enriched, and possibly be made of great 

 value for cultivation in crops by a tw^en- 

 ty-year service in growing Abele or oth- 

 er poplars, providing fires were kept 

 out. 



Lombardy poplar, Canada balsam, or 

 Balm of Gilead all have fiber suitable 

 for wood pulp. As these are all grown 

 from cuttings, the expense of planting 

 need not be great. 



Pine Succeeded by Nut Trees and Hard 

 Woods. 



"We are frequently asked why these 

 succeed pines and coniferous trees when 



