246 ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY. 



the past experiences should serve at least the pur- 

 pose of exercising caution in their employment. 



In the years 1868 to 1873 a wave of legislation 

 for the encouragement of timber planting, either 

 under bounty or with exemption from taxation, went 

 through the country from Maine to Nebraska, cul- 

 minating in the so-called timber culture acts by 

 the federal government in 1873-1874. All of these 

 laws proved practically ineffective, or at least the 

 results were inadequate except in taking money 

 out of the treasuries. 



Yet only in 1899 the State of Indiana revived 

 the idea in a law " for the encouragement of for- 

 estry," with an attempt at specifications which in 

 themselves are devoid of tangible principle. This 

 law provides that any owner may declare one- 

 eighth of his property as a permanent forest res- 

 ervation, this portion to be assessed at one dollar 

 per acre, provided he either plant and maintain 

 for three years, or, if natural woods, have on hand, 

 not less than 1 70 trees per acre ; he must keep out 

 cattle, sheep, and goats until the trees are four 

 inches in diameter ; and whenever any of the 1 70 

 trees die or are removed, he must replace and main- 

 tain the number and protect them until they are 

 four inches in diameter, and he may never cut or 

 remove more than one-fifth of the trees in any year. 



A reference to the chapters on " Natural His- 

 tory of the Forest " and on " Silviculture " will 

 show how futile and inadequate this encourage- 



