28 



NEW YORK STATE FORESTRY 



methods of cutting, attempts to equalize the 

 tax on timber and timberlands, or State 

 ownership of lands used for forestry pur- 

 poses. However, in practice it has been 

 found expedient to develop forestry work 

 along such of these lines as the public under- 

 stands and is ready to accept. Nevertheless, 

 non-agricultural lands must be determined, 

 and the classification agreed to by the people, 

 before one can consider forestry as estab- 

 lished on a permanent footing in the State." 



Further than this a State cannot 

 enter on a broad intelligent policy of re- 

 forestation without sufficiently detailed 

 knowledge of conditions. 



This does not apply to reforestation 

 on denuded lands now owned by the 

 State but rather to the so-called " idle 

 lands " outside State areas. 



Successful commercial planting de- 

 pends upon a good future market, lands 

 of low value on which to plant, a choice 

 of species suited to the needs of the 

 market and to the conditions, local and 

 regional, relative freedom from sources 

 of damage, a low initial cost of planting, 

 and a return on the money invested 

 equal to at least a fair rate of interest. 

 Many examples of successful planta- 

 tions exist which meet these conditions. 



If forest planting is to be conducted 

 on a large scale in New York State, 

 who shall do it? State ownership of 

 forests is increasingly favored because 

 it assures management of forest lands 

 to furnish continuous crops of timber. 

 New York has a large area in the Pre- 

 serves representing approximately 12 

 per cent, of the total forest and wood- 

 land area of the State. Extensive 

 planting of denuded areas in the Pre- 

 serves each year should be generously 

 provided for by legislative appropria- 

 tion. 



Outside of the Preserves, because of 

 the excellent policy of the State in fur- 

 nishing trees at cost, considerable pri- 

 vate planting is being done. It is 

 doubtful if planting by private owners 

 will be sufficiently great to meet the 

 needs of our present situation. Such 

 planting will indeed be a factor in the 

 solution of the problem. Short time in- 

 vestments in planting for fence post 

 production are very attractive to the 

 farmer. Improvement of nonagricul- 

 tural land on the farm by means of 



forest planting is receiving increasing 

 stimulus annually. 



Although reforestation for timber 

 production is not quite so attractive to 

 the private owner, many small planta- 

 tions are being set annually. Planting 

 by individuals is often a matter of per- 

 sonal interest in such work for the pur- 

 pose of improving property so that no 

 part of the land is idle, and with no 

 idea on the owner's part that he him- 

 self will harvest the timber. He simply 

 sees his property improved and en- 

 hanced in value, more easily sold or left 

 in better condition for his children. 



As an investment, timber planting by 

 private owners must be considered in 

 connection with the steady appreciation 

 in value of forest products and in the 

 price of land. There are many locali- 

 ties in the Eastern United States where 

 waste lands are remarkably cheap. 

 These are nonagricultural, but with the 

 increase of values for other types of 

 land in the locality the price of these 

 lands is rising. Good roads and trans- 

 portation by automobile have put ex- 

 tensive areas within reach of larger and 

 smaller cities for country residence. 

 This line of development will continue. 

 Planting on such lands will add dis- 

 tinctively to future sale values. 



In view of what has been done, and 

 in the light of opportunity, there is an 

 excellent field for planting by railroad 

 companies, public and private water 

 companies and many corporations. The 

 State should render these as much as- 

 sistance as possible through co-opera- 

 ation in planting. Such planting, how- 

 ever, cannot compass a large percentage 

 of the land which should be reforested. 



Granting that an adequate knowledge 

 has been obtained concerning area, 

 location and character of waste and de- 

 nuded land, and that the factors al- 

 ready discussed have been considered, 

 an answer can be attempted to the 

 question, " Who shall plant and manage 

 these forests?" The answer may be 

 that the State should obtain additional 

 holdings^ in counties where the refor- 

 estation area is very large and continu- 

 ous in extent. It is also possible that 

 acquirement of forest land and waste 



