206 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



other reasons 21,289. The gross area was further reduced by 

 34,328 acres through recomputations based on more complete data and 

 new surveys. 



Exceptional opportunities were presented for extension of the 

 eastern national forests through purchases under the Weeks law at 

 prices much below the levels of earlier years. To the extent per- 

 mitted by the available funds, full advantage of the situation was 

 taken. Purchase agreements were approved by the National Forest 

 Reservation Commission covering 242,169 acres at a total cost of 

 $800,584.96. The average price of S3. 30 per acre was the lowest in 

 any single year since the initiation of purchases. Actual acquisition 

 of the lands, however, through final transfer of title frequently does 

 not take place until subsequent years. The acquisitions completed 

 last year totaled 137,659.24 acres, with a cost of $839,406.91, or an 

 average of S6.49 per acre. The location of the lands acquired is 

 shown below : 



state. 



Alabama 



Arkansas , 



Georgia 



Maine 



New Hampshire 

 North Carolina. , 

 South Carolina. . 



Tennessee 



Virginia 



West Virginia. . 



Total 



Fiscal year 1922. 



Acreage 

 acquired. 



16, 135. 62 



16,673.85 



10, .573. 32 



21.60 



21,096.66 



21, 405. 03 







31, 826. 33 



1.5,577.78 



4,349.05 



137, 6,59. 24 



Average 



cost per 



acre. 



S4.62 

 4.03 

 6.99 

 7.00 

 7.88 

 9.31 

 

 5.15 

 3.39 

 3.57 



6.49 



Total acreage 

 acquirer] to 

 July 1, 1922. 



63, 262. 25 



40, 050. 61 

 144,667.61 



32, 164. 45 

 404, 207. 10 

 323,110.82 



18,454.26 

 245, 250. 12 

 365, 938. 37 

 103, 459. 16 



1,740,564.75 



The total cost of all lands purchased has been $9,329,426.80 and 

 the average cost per acre $5.36. 



The outstanding feature of the Weeks law work during the year 

 was the formal establishment of the Allegheny purchase unit, em- 

 bracing 440,000 acres on the upper headwaters of the North Fork 

 of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania. This unit constitutes the 

 basis of what eventually will be another eastern national forest. 

 Its establishment extends Federal activity in protecting the water- 

 sheds of the Ohio River drainage, and is a forward step in the pro- 

 motion of reforestation and the consequent perpetuation of forest 

 industries in northwestern Pennsylvania. 



The new forest is situated at a point where problems both of 

 watershed protection and of forest perpetuation reach a climax. 

 Not far to the south lies Pittsburgh, whose serious flood losses have 

 necessitated unprecedented flood-control measures, involving most 

 elaborate and expensive engineering plans; and below Pittsburgh 

 are other great cities whose losses of liie and property due to floods 

 have been sources of national concern. There is scarcely another 

 region in the United States where the perpetuation of timber sup- 

 plies is more important; for in a radius of 100 miles there are thou- 

 sands of wood-using plants, representing investments of millions of 

 dollars. The creation of this one 440,000-acre unit will not in it- 



