125 



of these areas before the time when they are finally cleared for cultiva- 

 tion. 



The second type of soil on which forests may be grown is sand. 

 In several areas, of which examples may be found in Whiteside, Lee, 

 Mason, and Kankakee counties, soils of a very sandy character occur, 

 sometimes taking the form of dunes. In Mason county, success has 

 been attained with alfalfa on much of this soil. A great many plantations 

 of black locust have been made, few of which have done well. Cotton- 

 wood makes good development on these sands. There is great possi- 

 bility that various conifers may make profitable crops on such sands. 

 The state should vigorously undertake experimental work in reforesting 

 typical areas of all soil types whose agricultural value is questionable. 



The Production of Wood on Illinois Farms ; the Actual Number 



AND Tot.xl Acreage of Farm Wood-lots ; the Average Area 



OF Wood-lots for the Farms having them 



and for the State 



The economic importance of the wood-lot on Illinois farms depends 

 upon the total area in farm wood-lots and the number of owners, from 

 which can easily be ascertained the average area of wood-lot per farm 

 and for the farms of the state. It is to be expected that in a state where 

 43.46 per cent of the original area was forested, including practically all 

 of the more hilly and eroded sections and poorer soils, the farms which 

 were carved out of these woodlands would still retain forested areas 

 perhaps more or less denuded of merchantable timber, but not yet con- 

 verted into cleared pasture or tilled fields. 



As to the first item, the preliminary figures of the State Natural 

 History Survey indicate that the total farm-woodland area of the state 

 is 2,668,050 acres. But the number of farms actually having woodlands 

 is not easily ascertained. The United States Bureau of Census does not 

 give this infomiation, although it does collect figures on the total acreage 

 of farm woodlands in the various states. The number of Illinois farms 

 reporting merchantable timber through the Census for 1919 was but 

 20,0.51, which indicated a reluctance to report timber of ta.xabic value, 

 and a condition of depletion or over-cutting which has reduced the ma- 

 jority of woodlands to brush areas or young saplings. 



Again, forest products of some sort were reported to the Bureau of 

 Census as being sold from 37,874 farms in the year 1919; but it is im- 

 probable that this represents the entire number owning wood-lots. Even 



