160 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



isiana, many miles west of the westernmost limits of dis- 

 tribution given by any botanical authorities of that region. 

 Its range covers roughly about 35 per cent of the geo- 

 graphical range of longleaf , and extends beyond the latter 

 over some 8 to 10 million acres on the Florida peninsula. 

 With some 20 to 30 million acres of land, mostly pine 

 "barrens" and other poor, sandy lands, in excess of the 

 maximum amount that will probably be utilized for all 



HIGH MONEY RETURNS IN EARLY LIFE FROM TURPENTINE 



In this 13-year-old slash pine stand, 104 trees per acre are being worked for 

 turpentine. The remaining 524 per acre are yet too small. Unfortunately, 

 the wasteful boxing system, instead of the cupping method, is being used. If 

 cupped and properly handled, well-stocked stands like this will yield naval 

 stores for a period of from 25 to 40 years. At 10 cents per box, the present 

 local price, this stand is bringing its owner $10.40 per acre for a by-product 

 which does not necessarily appreciably lessen the value of the standing tree. 

 The stand here shown is growing on flat, poor, sandy "pine barrens" in northern 

 Florida, at present valueless for any other commercial purpose. 



agricultural purposes during the next half century, it 

 appears certain that slash pine will occupy an increasingly 

 important place in that economic development which aims 

 to put unused lands to their most profitable use. The 

 future will undoubtedly see the pine forests of the South 

 handled as second-growth stands of various ages, generally 

 not exceeding 50 years. The species which will make up 

 the future forest will, as a rule, be those producing in a 

 given period the largest quantity of wood, combined with 

 desirable intrinsic qualities of clearness, grain, and mechan- 

 ical properties. 



STATE FORESTS' VALUATION 



PENNSYLVANIA'S million acres of forest land, which 

 cost the state $2,275,000, are now valued at over 

 $6,000,000, says Commissioner of Forestry, Robert S. 

 Conklin. This increase is due to rising timber values, 

 permanent improvement made by the Department of 

 Forestry, and to tardy recognition of the fact that little 

 trees grow into big trees and have an actual money value 

 which is steadily increasing. Surely money put into an 

 established business of this kind is an investment and not 

 an expenditure. 



ONE OF THE UNDREAMT-OF THINGS 

 By Lewis E. Theiss 



WHILE pruning a plum tree last spring I found two 

 cocoons which I secured and placed in an open box 

 inside of our screened dining porch. In due season 

 two moths emerged females of the species Callosatnia 

 promethea. Though not particularly brilliant in their 

 markings, they were nevertheless very beautiful. Their 

 wings were perhaps three to four inches in spread. Shortly 

 they crawled from the box and up the screening, where 

 they remained. 



That evening half a dozen moths of the same kind were 

 fluttering eagerly outside the screening. In the Girl of the 

 Limberlost Mrs. Porter tells how a moth in the swamp 

 exuded a yellow fluid on the shoulder on the Girl's mother, 

 where it clung, and thus attracted other moths. We 

 watched to see what would happen here. One of the moths 

 did exude a few drops of a yellow fluid which hung in 

 shining drops in the meshes of the wire. Our interest was 

 now keen and we kept close watch. 



That evening fully twenty-five moths, both male and 

 female, of the same kind, came fluttering at dusk to our 

 porch, and all night those without tried to reach the two 

 imprisoned moths within. On the following day several 

 of the moths remained during the entire period of daylight, 

 and at dusk at least forty moths were fluttering about the 

 screens. There were so many it was impossible to count 

 them accurately. 



To us, who had never even seen a moth of this kind 

 before, it was a great treat. It convinced us of the truth 

 of Hamlet's observation to Horatio: "There are more 

 things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of 

 in thy philosophy." For we had never dreamt of such a 

 sight as those beautiful moths afforded as they fluttered 

 without our screens. 



Now we are going to do what we should have done 

 long ago learn about some of the undreamt-of things; 

 and already we have a box full of various cocoons and 

 chrysalids, and the spring pruning will yield more. Truly 

 we mortals are a blind race. 



MICHIGAN IN THE PINE BLISTER FIGHT 



THE Michigan Committee for the Suppression of the 

 White Pine Blister, composed of Professor L. R. 

 Taft, state inspector of orchards and nurseries; Dr. 

 Filbert Roth, Director of the Forestry Department of the 

 University of Michigan, and A. C. Carton, of the Public 

 Domain Commission, have prepared an amendment to 

 the Michigan forestry laws, providing reimbursement for 

 the owners of pine trees, gooseberry and currant bushes 

 which may have to be destroyed should the blister invade 

 Michigan. The Commission provides to stamp out the 

 disease the moment it makes its appearance. 



PRAIRIE dogs have practically been destroyed over 

 767,000 acres of National Forest range in New 

 Mexico and Arizona within the last five years by the 

 Biological Survey. During this period, a total of about 

 2,500,000 acres of Government land in the West has been 

 relieved of range-destroying rodents. 



