284 OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: MONTHLY BULLETIN 



The most important feature in Ohio forestry is not tree plant- 

 ing nor reforestation as it is usually referred to in terms of plant- 

 ing, but the maintenance and continuance of the several million 

 acres of native woodlands. The continuance of the woodlands is a 

 problem of natural seeding and not artificial planting. To provide 

 for the perpetuation of the woodlands it is necessary to protect them 

 against the influences which tend to destroy not only the standing 

 trees but their capacity to regenerate. The real problem therefore 

 is not forest planting, but protection for the native forests, and the 

 greatest need is protection against fires. There is no effort herein 

 to belittle the need for forest planting, for there is a good field for 

 this work in Ohio, but it must take second rank in comparison with 

 the great need for the protection and improvement of the native 

 woodlands. 



If we are to maintain a timber supply it is necessary that we 

 adopt measures which shall lead to a practical accomplishment of 

 this end. Our woodlands must be not only a resource which shall 

 be maintained like the trees in our front yard which we probably 

 never expect to cut, but also a source from which we can obtain 

 timber and yet have a growing forest for a future cut. In other 

 words, our forests must be maintained so as to yield a continuous 

 succession of timber crops with nature sowing the seed, but man 

 affording the protection. 



If our inherent timber lands are taken in hand now, much of the 

 young timber standing on them can be devoted to some use and the 

 reseeding can be accomplished by natural means. With each suc- 

 ceeding fire, however, the standing timber is reduced in value and 

 in many places to such an extent that it is practically worthless for 

 future use. Not only are the valuable native oaks, chestnut and 

 yellow poplar destroyed, but the growth that succeeds them is often 

 worthless ; mere weeds, which are in fact cumberers of the ground. 

 Such instances, though limited in extent, are obvious examples of 

 what may be expected in the most heavily-timbered sections of 

 Ohio, if we do not adopt a program for fire protection. 



No one doubts that the time will come when Ohio as well as 

 other states of the Union must grow timber for future use. If 

 we start now and protect what we have the State will be saved 

 millions of dollars. If we persist in our present policy, de- 

 terioration will proceed to the point where nature will no longer be 

 able to compete with the destructive processes and these inherent 

 forest lands will be worthless and barren for all practical purposes. 

 We will then resort to planting artificially at enormous expense and 



