SILVICULTURAL PROBLEMS IX PENNSYLVANIA 509 



forest area in his charge; consequently in the spring of 1913 he ven- 

 tured to set out some trees notwithstanding the popular belief that 

 they would soon b'e burned. The undertaking, while somewhat ad- 

 venturous, proved a great success. Planting operations have been con- 

 ducted annually since this initial undertaking of 1912, and now over 

 one million trees have been planted on this forest and not one of them 

 has been burned. This example is not an exceptional one, but typical 

 of most of the other 52 State forests. There are 1,976 acres of planta- 

 tions on the Black Forest, 1,447 acres on the Blackwell Forest, and 

 1,717 acres on the Ole Bull Forest, and not a single tree has been lost 

 by fire on any of them. 



Since 1899, that is, for more than 20 years, trees have been planted 

 on the State forests, and yet in spite of the large number set out (over 

 33 million), and the extensive area reforested (over 22,000 acres) only 

 six-tenths of one per cent (.006) of the total planted area has been 

 burnt over to date, which represents an average annual loss of three 

 one-hundredths of one per cent (.0003). It is significant to know 

 that this conclusion is not an estimate, but is prepared from reports 

 based on accurate surveys of all completely and partially burnt-over 

 plantations. 



The results attained more than justify the foresters for their faith 

 in reforestation, and reflect credit upon them for their fruitful con- 

 structive efforts. The foresters are in a position to note accurately the 

 pulse of public sentiment, and they report almost unanimously that tree 

 planting has done more than any other line of endeavor on State forests 

 to develop tree appreciation and promote a durable sentiment in favor 

 of forestry. They state that one of the best ways to protect forests 

 against fire is to dot them with atracive planations of vigorous and 

 valuable trees. 



It seems to follow from this 20-year-old experiment that plantations 

 are reasonably safe from fire on Pennsylvania State forests ; and that 

 planting should be continued on all forest land upon \vhich the exist- 

 ing growth is neither sufficient nor satisfactory, and where the prospect 

 for natural regeneration in the near future is not promising. 



SHOULD PLANTING OF FOREST TREES BY PRIVATE OWNERS BE 

 ENCOURAGED? 



Forest tree planting may be regarded as a business belonging pri- 

 marily to the nation and State rather than the individual, but in certain 



