14 



116 8-foot fence posts. 



36 25-foot piling, with a top diameter of 6 inches. 

 212 7-foot mine props. 



2042 5-foot mine props. 



Counting the pasture worth from three to four dollars per acre, it is a 

 question as to whether the land was not worth more for timber growing 

 than it will be for pasture or farm land when cut off. Besides, it will be 

 subject to severe gullying due to ravines which run through It, which 

 will extend themselves farther back each year it lies as stump land. 



Grazing Jo Daviess County. This county is situated in the north- 

 western part of the State, and has escaped glaciation. Speaking of an 

 imgrazed forest in Jo Daviess County, which from the enumeration of many 

 rare herbaceous plants must be a paradise for the botanist, Dr. Pepoon, of 

 Chicago, says: "A very striking feature of this woodland is the very 

 large number of youjag oak, ash and hard maple, and to a lesser extent 

 hickery, elm, basswood and ironwood trees, many of -which have reached 

 a height of 6 to 8 feet, and are evidently well started in a successful 

 struggle to reach maturity. This shows better than any other fact the 

 benefit to reproduction of keeping out cattle, sheep and hogs. From this 

 we may say that any forest land in this area will be able to perpetuate 

 itself if properly protected from grazing animals." 



Wesley Bradfield, speaking of the northern Illinois river region, says, 

 that the most important consideration is that forest land should be devoted 

 solely to raising trees and should not be used as pasture land. "Forest land 

 should have the advantage of an unbroken ground cover of leaf mulch, 

 a soil which is not being constantly trampled by stock so that it will 

 remain loose and porous and a solid stand of trees, whether of new seed- 

 lings or trees which are nearly mature and ready to harvest." 



Dr. Waterman, in speaking of the tracts of forest in Cook county says 

 that the worst things are picnicing and pasturage; while Dr. Vestal, 

 speaking of Cumberland county, says pasturage is general and erosion has 

 resulted in many places. This connection between pasturage and gullying 

 of the land is mentioned by the Illinois Geological Survey, deforestation 

 and grazing being discussed as two important factors in erosion of man's 

 introduction. "The hoofs of cattle have cut the sod and over-grazing has 

 killed the grass in places, so that the soil has been laid bare, to be washed 

 by rains and blown by winds. These slopes in Fox valley might have been 

 kept in a more productive state by more restricted grazing, or by letting 

 them remain in timber." 



Forest Taxation. Prof. Chapman will discuss the modern methods of 

 taxation as applied to timberlands, so it is only necessary to mention 

 the known facts about taxation of timber land in Illinois. From personal 

 interviews with owners one learns that they are not cutting off the timber 

 because taxation is excessive but through a desire to benefit the pasture, 

 combined with ignorance of the true stumpage value of the timber and 

 the desire to get rid of it quickly and easily. This they do by selling it 

 for a lump sum to contractors dealing in mine props, posts and piling, 

 who have no interest in the tract other than financial profit. This is largely 

 a matter for education of the public after it has been found out what the 



