12 



THE FORESTER. 



January, 



State. Practically all of them are capable 

 of being restocked with pine at reasona- 

 bl. expense. 



This can be done only by public 

 authority which will not look to immedi- 

 ate profit. As long as they remain un- 

 cared for the fires prevent the natural re- 

 production. Without human intervention 

 these immense tracts will for the most 

 part become vast wildernesses, unfit for 

 agriculture, yet yielding none of the val- 

 uable products of a forest. 



Most of these lands are owned by 

 private parties, although a considerable 

 portion is owned by counties under tax 

 titles. The idea that all of these lands 

 will eventually be taken up by agricul- 

 tural settlers is a mistake. Occasionally 

 a settler may be found who makes a 

 miserable living on even the poorest of 

 these lands, but he must of necessity 

 always remain poor, unambitious and 

 ignorant. The simplest way to dispose 

 of these lands and make them of use to 

 the people would be for the State to pur- 

 chase them. How this is to be done is yet 

 to be determined. It is stated by the com- 

 missioners that several large owners of 

 cut-over Pine lands have intimated their 



willingness to cede large tracts to the 

 State if the latter will take steps to re- 

 stock them. 



After outlining the manner in which 

 the rational management of the State 

 forests should proceed in the future, the 

 report gives a general view of the com- 

 missioners' plan for a State forest depart- 

 ment, as proposed in the bill which will 

 be submitted to the Legislature together 

 with the report. A State superintendent 

 of forests, an assistant, and other subor- 

 dinate officers are to be appointed. 

 The sale of State lands shall be stopped, 

 and the same shall be surveyed. All 

 dead and down timber, and such other 

 timber as the superintendent may deem 

 expedient, shall be sold as soon as 

 practicable. Also audit all accounts. 

 The superintendent is to build roads and 

 make necessary improvements on the 

 lands under his care, but must not incur 

 an expenditure to exceed $110 without 

 authority. The superintendent appoints 

 the local fire-wardens, and has the 

 supervision over them. The department 

 is to establish model forests and ex- 

 periment stations in different portions 

 of the State. 



The Lumber Industry. 



Commenting on the proposition of the 



Forest Division to aid timberland owners 



in the formulation of plans for their most 



profitable management, the Northwestern 



Lumberman says : 



" Probably the scheme will result in 

 calling attention to the work of the de- 

 partment to a greater extent than for- 

 merly. It appeals directly to the pockets 

 of forest owners, which is about as strong 

 an address as can be made to the aver- 

 age American or the average man of any 

 nationality for that matter. If the offi- 

 cers of the Forestry Division can, through 

 the workings of their new plan, interest 

 a considerable number of woodland own- 

 ers to the extent of forcing on their minds 

 that there is a better way to handle for- 

 ests than to slaughter them, they will 



have accomplished a good work. When 

 a few shall have become interested, the 

 influence will spread until an intelligent 

 forestry system shall become prevalent 

 throughout the country. But it is doubt- 

 ful if the services of the department 

 agents will be much required by the lum- 

 bermen who own lands that they intend 

 to denude as rapidly as they can cut and 

 sell the timber. Anything that shall 

 hamper speed in this process will likely 

 be turned down as an unwarrantable in- 

 terference. Yet here and there is a tim- 

 ber owner, not a lumberman, who will 

 listen to any proposition that promises to 

 add to the value of his holdings." 



This enterprising lumber trade journal 

 will have to revise the judgment above 

 expressed. Fourteen lumber camps are 



