2 44 



THE FORESTER. 



October, 



across what is known as South Moun- 

 tain, a part of the Blue Ridge, and is one 

 of the most picturesque sections in Penn- 

 sylvania. It has hundreds of beautiful 

 springs and is well timbered throughout, 

 a new growth having replaced the timber 

 cut off years ago to furnish charcoal for 

 the furnace. The mountain tops on the 

 tract are about 1,200 feet above sea level, 

 and from an observatory built upon one Adams, of Chicago, was recently exam- 



acres is understood to be about $7.50 per 

 acre. 



Tree Planting A forest plantation 4,100 

 in Indiana. acres in extent is to be 



started in the Kankakee 

 bottoms, Newton County, Indiana. The 

 land, which is the property of Mr. Joseph 



of them can be had a magnificent view of 

 the Cumberland Valley from the Susque- 

 hanna to the Potomac. 



A pleasure park, comprising hundreds 

 of acres, with paths made through the 



ined by Mr. George L. Clothier, an agent 

 of the Bureau of Forestry, and Mr. W. 

 H. Freeman, secretary of the Indiana 

 vState Board of Forestry. The examina- 

 tion was made in order to determine upon 



forest, rustic bridges across all streams and plans for the planting. 



many buildings for the comfort and enter- 

 tainment of visitors is a part of the pur- 

 chase and is known as Mont Alto Park, 

 the resort of many thousands of people 

 every year. The price paid for the 23,000 



The object in starting this plantation is 

 to establish a permanent forest, and it 

 marks the first attempt in Indiana at tree 

 planting on the advice of a trained for- 

 ester. 



THE REFORESTATION OF OUR WATERSHEDS.* 



By T. P. Lukens. 



THE question of the management of 

 our depleted and rapidly disap- 

 pearing forests is second to no 

 other in importance to the people of the 

 United States. No nation on earth was 

 so blessed in the beginning with the ex- 

 tent and quality of forests as our own, but 

 through lax laws and political influence the 

 mass of our forests have passed into the 

 hands of a few. Not only is the waste and 

 destruction of the original crop distressing, 

 but also the entire disregard of the future 

 that has been thus far the rule. 



While the economic question of for- 

 estry is of vital importance to the whole 

 people, on which volumes could be writ- 

 ten, the phase of this question which most 

 concerns the people of southern Cali- 

 fornia is the preservation of our forests 

 for the conservation of water. It is no 



*Read at the summer meeting of the Ameri- 

 can Forestry Association, Denver, Col., Aug. 

 27-29. 



longer a disputed question that the de- 

 pletion of forests causes the extremes of 

 flood and drouth. Humid regions become 

 arid, for proof of which we are no longer 

 compelled to cite Palestine and other parts 

 of the old world, but we see it clearly por- 

 trayed in our own country. 



In the seven counties of southern Cali- 

 fornia, there is approximately 10,000 

 square miles of arable land, with a popu- 

 lation of 305,000 and property with as- 

 sessed value of $160,000,000. There is 

 an almost unbroken range of mountains, 

 from the coast in Santa Barbara county to 

 San Diego, that forms a barrier from the 

 Mojave and Colorado deserts on the north 

 and east. This mountain area of 4,500 

 square miles has wisely been set aside as 

 forest reserves, for on this rugged moun- 

 tain range southern California depends for 

 its supply of water for all purposes. 



So much is known of the early history : 

 that the mountains were well forested, 



