A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1181 



The Lake, New England, and Middle Atlantic regions also rank 

 high in the proportional amount of State aid extended in the fire- 

 protection project. In this respect they differ materially from the 

 Western States, whose laws require the owner to make the principal 

 provisions for the protection of his lands from fire. 



FOREST PLANTING AND NURSERY WORK 



Planting and nursery work pertains to the establishment of forest- 

 tree nurseries, the collection and purchase of seed, the growing of forest 

 seedlings, and the distribution of forest planting stock by the States 

 to the private forest landowner. The distribution is now primarily 

 for the benefit of the farmer owner, and in most States the planting 

 stock is furnished by the States at cost of production. In this discus- 

 sion the planting by the States of their own forest lands is not 

 included. 



Of the total State aid extended all private owners in forestry, 6.6 

 percent is for some form of planting and nursery work. Thirty-eight 

 States are providing aid of this general description with a present 

 annual State contribution of approximately $360,000. The extent 

 and character of the aid rendered varies according to local problems. 

 All are cooperating with the Federal Government under section 4 of 

 the Clarke-McNary law in providing aid in the procurement, produc- 

 tion, and distribution of forest-tree seeds and plants for the purpose 

 of establishing windbreaks, shelter belts, and farm woodland. Ap- 

 proximately one half of the total financial aid in planting benefits the 

 farmer. Commercial planting of cut-over lands by private owners 

 and the planting of State forest areas are also directly or indirectly 

 aided directly by the production of cheap nursery stock and indi- 

 rectly by advice as to planting methods. 



From a national viewpoint the Middle Atlantic region ranks first in 

 the amount of aid extended by States to private owners in planting, 

 with the Central States second and New England third. 



While State funds spent for planting and nursery work are in part 

 returned to the States through the sale of planting stock to private 

 owners, the planting expenditures herein reported are exclusive of 

 sales receipts. 



FORESTRY EXTENSION 



Forestry extension includes all public efforts through information, 

 advice, and demonstrations to promote among private forest owners, 

 particularly farm owners of woodlands, the proper care and use of 

 their forest-growing lands. 



In most States forestry extension aid to farm timberland owners 

 is provided in cooperation with the Federal Government under the 

 provisions of section 5 of the Clarke-McNary law. In addition to the 

 31 States cooperating on this basis with their farmers, Maine inde- 

 pendently provides direct extension aid to farmers, and Florida does 

 likewise for naval stores operators. State aid in forestry extension 

 to private owners as shown in tables 1 and 2 includes only those 

 expenditures made on projects organized and conducted primarily for 

 such work. On this basis, present annual expenditures for extension 

 activities constitute 1.7 percent of total State-aid expenditures, a low 

 rating. No attempt has been made to evaluate allocated part-time 



