1()2 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



lislied a State forestry department and appointed a State 

 Forester. For many years it has been recognized that 

 somethino- could be done on this line to benefit the farm and 

 the State. It was thought, if there were an expert who was 

 skilled in such matters, that he could be of assistance to 

 the farmer by showing how lands could be improved that 

 now are idle. It was recognized that the time was coming 

 when the State nmst restore some of its forests, if it would 

 preserve its water supply, either for power in its mills 

 or for the needs of the great cities. It was recognized, fur- 

 thermore, that these forests Avould, in the course of time, 

 as they have in other laaids, become a source of income. 

 There has been a desire for a long time that something be 

 done. Something has been done, and we are looking for- 

 ward confidently to a growth of forests in this Common- 

 wealth that Avill add to the beauty of the State ; that will be 

 of great service in its protection of the supply of Avater ; in 

 its protection, incidentally, if you please, of the wild game 

 of the wood ; and of value in making waste lands sources 

 of revenue, because of the timber that may be produced 

 from them. 



There has also been an advance made within recent 

 months m connection with the highways. We were pur- 

 suing a policy of luiilding State highways in this State by 

 means of an a})propriation that was made from year to year ; 

 and the State Highway Commissioners never knew when 

 some economical government might come in and say, "We 

 will stop that appropriation ; we will cut it off." They 

 never could plan ahead, because they could only plan to 

 spend the mone}' already appropriated ; and the result was 

 that the work was carried on more expensively than it would 

 have been otherwise. Now that is changed. The work has 

 been estal)lished on a five-year basis, so the commissioners 

 can plan five years ahead, knowing their appropriation is 

 certain. A more harmonious and comprehensive system of 

 roads and greater economy in their construction will be the 

 result of this new policy. 



And there has been another advance. We have set out 

 4,000 trees. It is the first time the State has set out trees 



