' * ' * their' wb'o'dlarid's even though they exist upon land of high value. Probably 

 their number will increase; certainly there has been a decided change in 

 attitude and sentiment during the past decade in favor of woodland main- 

 tenance. Nevertheless we cannot escape the conviction that woodlands 

 on land worth from one hundred to three hundred dollars per acre need 

 not be considered a dependable future resource. Economically these 

 acres represent in the aggregate a considerable loss to the commonwealth. 

 The mere fact that they occupy lands of high value even though they be 

 productive forests would in itself constitute misutilization. Through the 

 deterioiating influence of grazing these detached bodies of native forest 

 for the most part are cumberers of the ground with the original trees 

 mature, or culls, the young growth lacking or of inferior composition, the 

 shade too dense for the growth of nutritious grasses, these tracts are 

 neither good forest nor good pasture. It is true that many of them can 

 be rehabilitated. In fact by proper protection and management, regenera- 

 tion by natural seeding is most satisfactory. 



There is a field for farm forestry within the regions mentioned the 

 steep slopes along streams, overflow lands, ravines, etc., which could be 

 given over more profitably to timber growing than other purposes. The 

 farmer's interest in this phase is fortified by the direct benefits accruing 

 from the small woodland. From it he would have available for farm use 

 material for construction, posts, fuel, etc. He will appreciate more and 

 more the value of shelter belts, both for protection and utility. It may 

 be expected that such forestry can be promoted with moderate success 

 in the better agricultural sections, and some progress has been made in 

 this direction. 



Before leaving this phase of the discussion it may be well to state that 

 hundreds of farmers are attempting in greater or less degree to maintain 

 and manage their small woodlands in accordance with recognized prin- 

 ciples of forestry, without regard for the value of the land on which 

 they exist. From this fact, however, there can be no outgrowth of estab- 

 lished policy with reference to such tracts, nor even will there be any 

 assurance that the successors to' the property of these men will continue 

 their practices. 



The unglaciated hill lands of the southeast quarter of Ohio are the 

 inherent timber areas of the state. A million acres could be devoted to this 

 purpose without infringing on agricultural development. The woodlands 

 in this section are in holdings of from two hundred to twenty thousand 

 acres, small portions of which are utilized for desultory farm operations. 

 Surface land values range from two dollars to twenty-five dollars per 

 acre. During the early part of the last century, the original forest was 

 taken up in large holdings by furnace companies, which led to the develop- 

 ment of the charcoal iron industry. The timber was converted into char- 

 coal which was utilized in the reduction of the local ore. Up to the time 

 of the collapse of this industry in the early seventies, not only the original 

 forest but oftentimes second growth and even third growth was used. 

 The successive cuttings affected the composition of forest, but the most 

 deleterious results occurred through the conversion of high forest to 

 coppice, and the weakening of the reproductive capacity with each cut- 



