162 



south border would get them all is as bad as burning down a house tc 

 roast the pig instead of using the oven. 



In most regions the individual wood-lot is fairly well protected 

 against fires occurring on the land of others. Cultivated fields and roads 

 form effective fire-lines, hence the predominance of the fire directly set 

 by persons making use of the woodland, and abusing the privileges thus 

 accorded them by burning over the property. A certain measure of pro- 

 tection may be had by posting such lands against all trespassers, but in 

 the greater areas of forests in southern Illinois the ability of the owner 

 to keep fire off his land is largely determined by its location, and where 

 it is surrounded or joined on one or more sides by unprotected forest- 

 lands constant vigilance is necessary in the dry seasons to prevent the 

 inevitable annual fires from burning him out. As a result, some owners 

 secure protection by back-firing at the first intimation of the approach 

 of the blaze and thus secure immunity at the sacrifice of other lands ; 

 while others, less favorably situated, make no attempt to check the fire 

 but breathe a sigh of relief when the conflagration is over for the season 

 and their buildings are still standing. 



The owners who by reason of fortunate location or diligence have 

 succeeded in excluding fires and who have in addition kept out grazing, 

 have had the reward of seeing their forest areas restocked densely with 

 all manner of vigorous young trees. The reproduction of these hard- 

 woods in southern Illinois is especially prolific and when lacking, the 

 cause is not far to seek. Many of these owners take great pride in 

 their wood-lots as well they may, but for one wood-lot so nurtured there 

 are twenty which show the frightful ravages of either fire or grazing, 

 or of the two combined. These, and not timber-cutting, are the factors 

 which threaten to destroy 90 per cent of the remaining forests of Illi- 

 nois and put an end to their productiveness and future yields. If the 

 present practices of firing the woods and grazing are continued, then 

 inside of two more decades the production of Illinois woodland will 

 drop permanently to not over a fifth of its present low capacity. More 

 may be accomplished and at less cost by correcting these conditions in 

 existing woodlands than by replanting an area equally great at enormous 

 outlay. 



A Forest Poi,icv for Illinois 



The woodland area of Illinois is comparatively small, yet to^gether 

 with the waste lands which might be forested it comprises some five 



