484 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



paratively little land, except the farmer's it should do, for fully three-fourths of 

 woodlot, which should be given to for- what it now owns, or will be likely to 

 estry, because quite all of it is well own, must be reforested by planting 

 adapted for agriculture, and should be trees, as has been found necessary in 

 devoted to that purpose. Then, there European experience, in order to re- 

 are some states whose financial re- store and maintain forests in perpe- 

 sources are so limited that no consid- tuity. It is possible that the state can 

 erable planting of forests and main- secure, say, 2,000,000 acres, perhaps 

 taining them until maturity need be ex- more, but she should possess not less 

 pected of them. It is unnecessary to than 6,000,000 to meet the demands of 

 name these, but such is the fact, and her own citizens, and it is not probable 

 the truth is patent that no great amount that so much can be obtained ; and that 

 of forest restoration and ownership by would be only about forty-one per cent 

 the state governments can be depended of her total area, while Germany's for- 

 upon. It is true, however, that there ests cover twenty-six per cent of the 

 are some states in which this can be empire's domain, and she imports one- 

 profitably undertaken, but there is a third of the forest products consumed 

 limit even there. by her people, and her forests are far 



Take, for instance, our own state of more productive than ours. 

 Pennsylvania, which is among those Thus it will be seen that the power 

 best conditioned if not the very best- of the state governments to restore and 

 for the restoration of her forests and conserve the forests within their do- 

 conserving them in useful perpetuity main is, as in the case of the general 

 when restored. Her virgin forests are government, quite limited ; but, were 

 nearly all gone, and will be practically they not limited by prevailing condi- 

 so within the next decade ; but were tions which cannot be overcome, would 

 there a million acres, she could not pur- it be best for a state to own all or any 

 chase even one, for the law limits the great portion of the forests within her 

 price to be paid by the state to $5 per borders? If our government were of 

 acre, and the value of such forests is a form in which there would be little 

 now not less than $50, and much of it or no change of policy consequent upon 

 above $100. Whatever is done must be the triumph of one or the other of po- 

 done along the line of restoration on litical parties, it would present a dif- 

 cut-over and burned-over lands. There ferent case than now confronts us, when 

 are about 8,500,000 acres practically a change of party control may come 

 thirty per cent of the total area of every four years. As long as politics 

 non-agricultural land within her bor- can be kept out of forestry manage- 

 ders, and, mark you, it is not proposed ment, all things may go along well ; but 

 to devote land to forestry that it suit- who can depend upon or guess what 

 able for agriculture. While much of may happen in the realm of politics 

 this is in large bodies, and some owners when the forests become valuable ? To 

 have large holdings, still a great pro- imagine they would not then become 

 portion of it is in possession of small the prey of the grafter and political 

 land owners. There is scarcely a farm schemer would be no less absurd and 

 that does not contain some of it, and improbable than to believe the millen- 

 but few of such small tracts can be nium would then come. That the state 

 secured by the state, except by the ex- as well as the national government 

 ercise of its right of eminent domain, should own and control enough forests 

 even were they desirable, and they cer- to at least prevent a monopoly through 

 tainly would not be if in small and de- a combination of private owners, must 

 tached pieces. The state already owns not be denied ; but that either or both 

 almost 1,000,000 acres of cut-over and should do all this is impossible, and 

 much of it burned-over land, and it is would be impracticable were it possible, 

 constantly purchasing more. But there yet the claim advanced by some that 

 is a limit to what it can as well as what private interests should alone develop 



