12 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



millions of acres which most men of common sense recognize 

 is good for nothing but the production of timber. 



If it were to be given over to a kind of trees which re- 

 quire half a century or more to mature, it would in time be 

 a valuable investment to the State, but forestry there, as here, 

 is a comparatively new idea. Men lacked enough faith to go 

 into it as a business. 



The State saw its opportunity, and within a year has pur- 

 chased about 120,000 acres at a cost of $1.35 per acre. This 

 is but a nucleus. We are contemplating forestry reservations 

 which, in the near future, will contain about two million acres. 

 There is one thing about the movement in Pennsylvania which 

 is somewhat remarkable, though it is eminently satisfactory to 

 those who have been doing pioneer work in favor of forestry. 

 It is, instead of having to lead public sentiment up to acquir- 

 ing larger reservations, public sentiment is urging the forestry 

 commission on. 



I do not know what proportion of Connecticut could be 

 classified as waste land, probably less than in Pennsylvania. 

 But, nevertheless, I am persuaded that there are areas within 

 your limits which it would be well for Connecticut to own. 

 We have three methods of obtaining land for the State. 



1st. The commissioner of forestry is authorized to pur- 

 chase land which is sold for non-payment of taxes, at a price 

 not to exceed taxes and cost. In this way we have secured 

 sixteen thousand acres at an average cost of about thirteen 

 cents an acre. It was land which was worth much more, but 

 it so happened that we secured it. For example, one tract of 

 4,175 acres cost us fifteen cents an acre. Yet we have on 

 that very tract a flagstone quarry which we could sell for more 

 than we paid for the tract. 



2d. The commissioner of forestry may, with the consent 

 of the governor and board of property, purchase land other 

 than that sold for taxes at a cost not in excess of its assessed 

 value, but in no case to pay more than five dollars an acre. 



3d. We have a commission of five members whose duty it 

 is to locate three State forestry reservations of not less than 

 40,000 acres in each, one to be upon the heads of each of the 

 three river systems of the State. 



This commission is not limited to any price per acre. It 

 has the right of eminent domain, and may take any land for 

 State purposes upon payment of a reasonable price. Thus 



