636 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



labor income to the owners. One may doubt that these 8oi farms 

 represented a true average for the region, since no statistics as to 

 deserted farms are appended and since it is obvious that the first comers 

 select the best sites available. Perhaps, under the circumstances, it 

 may be just as well not to dwell unduly upon such a situation, once the 

 facts are of record. 



Sooner or later this solution of camouflage in optimism was bound 

 to be precipitated by a situation requiring immediate and unequivocal 

 action. To a considerable degree this came about in Wisconsin, where, 

 as a result of the imbroglio which culminated in the wrecking of the 

 State forest program, it became urgent that the actual, current value of 

 large areas be assessed as between agricultural and forest use. This 

 classification was done by State authorities and the work probably 

 represents the most advanced efforts at such segregation yet attempted 

 in America, not counting that done on the National Forests, where the 

 circumstances are radically dift'erent from those typical of the non- 

 mountainous cut-over regions. 



The report ^^ concludes : "The line between soils which can unques- 

 tionably be farmed with profit under present conditions and those con- 

 cerning the farming of which there is doubt should be drawn between 

 medium and fine sand. It is quite probable that, with very skillful 

 management and a full knowledge of their characteristics, a consider- 

 able part of these medium sands can be farmed with profit. But the 

 difficulties to be overcome on these soils are so great that, with the 

 knowledge now possessed by the average farmer, the majority of at- 

 tempts would lead to failure. We do not believe, therefore, that the 

 State should encourage the development of farms on soil of this char- 

 acter at present." ... 



"Attention is called by the Soil Survey to the fact that there are other 

 districts in the State which, because of the great preponderance of land 

 of low value for farming purposes, would be well suited for reforesta- 

 tion." 



Under the really difficult political conditions prevailing at the time, 

 this should be recognized as a notable departure from the general prac- 

 tice of the past and, indeed, it is a bold and useful, even if not a bald, 

 statement of conditions as they are. 



The Wisconsin report is especially noteworthy among soil surveys, in 

 that it segregates its land classes specifically upon the ground, in that it 

 unequivocally recognizes that the State has areas "which, because of 



Soil Survey of Vilas County, Madison, 1915. 



