9 



ting. Following this period the surface lands were almost abandoned, 

 excepting that such portions which could be tilled were cleared and 

 farmed. As the woodland developed it was again xmt over principally 

 for tie timber. The promiscuous clearing for tillage has complicated the 

 problems involved in rehabilitating these areas, converting steep hill sides 

 into fields has always been a common practice. Lack of soil fertility or 

 indifference as well as difficulties in maintaining the fertility leads to the 

 abandonment of the land resulting in a reversion to the old field type 

 of forest. This type is difficult to deal with because it is so inferior in 

 composition and stand, resulting oftentimes in mere weed growth. 



Artificial reforestation by private individuals of the old field where the 

 typical growth prevails in impracticable in many instances because of 

 the excessive costs of formation and subsequent cleaning. The native 

 forests under a system of management will be a valuable asset to the 

 state for they are considerable, and are an inherent part of that section. 

 Protection against fires is needed but damage of consequence is limited 

 to a few counties where wild lands are in the hands of absentee land 

 lords. Many owners are exercising vigilence in respect to this feature, but 

 a sytem of state and national aid is needed. The generally prevailing in- 

 difference in attitude toward the proper maintenance of the forsets in this 

 section is a factor which must be considered in this discussion. There are 

 a few large tracts held for the value of the second growth alone. A con- 

 siderable portion of southeast Ohio is underlaid by the coal measures, 

 and many of the furnace tracts are in the hands of coal operators. They 

 own the surface along with the mineral rights in most instances. Their 

 business is to mine coal and the surface to them is of consideration only 

 as it affects their mining operations. They value the woodland insofar as 

 it contributes timber to supply the needs of the mines until they are worked 

 out. Beyond that they have no immediate interest, for they are not 

 in the timber business. However much they may be censured for neglecting 

 their woodlands, there are obstacles in the way of forestry practices. 

 There are no markets for inferior timber. Coal and gas have practically 

 driven fire wood out of the market. Charcoal production barely more 

 than pays for cutting the wood and burning the coal. In fact, many 

 tracts are turned over to burners to coal for the price of the wood. The 

 stumpage paid for pit props is so small that transactions are never based 

 on that product. Tie timber is virtually the first product from second 

 growth forests for which there is ready sale. Inability to dispose of the 

 lower grades of timber is a discouraging feature, and is certainly a 

 deterrent in the practice of forestry by private owners. 



The present State Forestry Department was organized by legislative 

 act in 1906. It was placed under jurisdiction of the Board of Control of 

 the Agricultural Experiment Station. Broad power was given the Board 

 along investigational and demonstration lines, but there was no provision 

 for forest protection. In 1914 by special enactment the Board was author- 

 ized to purchase lands for state forests. The work of the Department 

 has been substantially along the following lines. 



(1) At the outset a preliminary forest survey of the State was made 

 with the detailed surveys of certain counties. This was done to determine 

 the conditions, the needs, and the lines of work required. 



