OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS 



63 



HORSES PASTURING IN PALOS HILLS. 



That was a small beginning of what the Forest Preserve 

 District plans to make a big feature of the district lands in the 

 future. Eventually the Forest Preserve District will not only 

 be a source of greatest enjoyment to the citizenship of Cook 

 County but may become self-sustaining. 



In the purchase of forest tracts the board acquired many 

 small areas of meadow land and open places suitable to grazing. 

 In the aggregate these pastures cover several thousand acres. 

 In response to the call for food conservation the Board decided 

 that none of the land should be withdrawn from pasturage. 



Former owners of the land and other farmers in the ad- 

 joining countryside were requested to raise cattle on these lands 

 the district was unable to do it and the result was that more 

 than 2,500 head of beef stock grazed on forest preserve pas- 

 tures during the year. 



Likewise many of the wooded tracts acquired contained a 

 small acreage of cultivated land, aggregating about 600 acres. 

 To meet the food crisis 525 acres was utilized in the production 

 of corn, oats and vegetables and many tons of hay were harvested 

 in the meadows not used for pasturage. 



During last winter's coal famine over 300 cords of fire- 

 wood from dead and fallen trees were sold at a nominal price 

 to persons unable to obtain other fuel and the district is making 

 still more extensive preparations for aiding in meeting such a 

 crisis if it develops again. 



