89 



Clark Township returns indicate four forest tracts containing over 

 twenty acres. Only one tract contains over forty acres. The total area 

 is 135 acres or .G per cent. 



"Wayne has but eleven forest tracts, mailing a total of 399 acres or 2 

 per cent, of the total area. The tracts are small, only one containing as 

 much as sixty acres. 



Scott Township reports no forest tract containing as much as twenty 

 acres. The total area of the timl3erland in the township does not exceed 

 ninety-five acres or .4 per cent. 



From this glance at the townships it will appear that the amount of 

 available timber Is very limited and most of the forests now remaining 

 are so small, open and scattered, that the benefit derived from them is 

 but a small per cent, of that accruing from well regulated forest areas. 



The General Assembly of the State of Indiana enacted, in 1899, a 

 forest reservation law, whereby upon any tracts of land a portion, not 

 exceeding one-eighth of tlie total area, could be selected as a permanent 

 forest reservation which should lie appraised for taxation at one dollar 

 per acre. The land to be exempted must contain 170 trees per acre, either 

 naturally or artificially propagated. The act makes further specifications 

 as to the maintenance of the tract, and designates what trees shall be 

 known as forest trees within the meaning of the act. The kiAV was a step 

 in the right direction and has resulted in 284 exemptions covering a total 

 area of 5,312 acres in the State. In Montgomei-y County, however, not a 

 single exemption has been tiled. This condition in this county is largely 

 due to the lack of information on the subject, and succeeding years will 

 no doubt witness a large number of exemptions. 



Deforestation of the headwaters has produced a marked effect in the 

 size and value of the county's streams. In its early history Sugar Creek 

 was navigable for good-sized boats and was much used as a means of 

 transportation. In 1824 William Nicholson came from Maysville, Ken- 

 tucky, to Crawfordsville in a keel boat of ten tons burden which landed 

 at the mouth of Whitlock's Spring branch. It floated down the Ohio to 

 the mouth of the Wabash and thence was rowed up to the mouth of 

 Sugar Creek, finally, after a long voj-age, reaching its destination. After- 

 ward two men took the same boat down to Terre Haute for a load of 

 corn. Other instances could be cited, but these are sufficient to show the 

 extent of the navigability of the stream which at present would scarcely 



