FORESTRY IN INDIANA 



BY 



SAMUEL J. RECORD 



Forest Assistant, Bureau of Forestry 



INDIANA, though in area one of timber would be to-day, it was then 

 the smallest of the Western" States, a hindrance and obstruction. It was 

 ranks among the foremost in wealth, a foe to progress and a terror to the 

 resources, and advancement. Consist- early settler. The tide of emigration 

 ent with its progress in other lines is was on westward from New York, 

 its present active interest in forestry- Virginia, and the Carolinas, and In- 

 an endeavor to make amends for past diana was passed by thousands seeking 

 extravagance and neglect. The study the prairies of the Western States, 

 of its problems and experiments to- Indiana's development began with 

 ward their solution should prove both the destruction of its magnificent for- 

 interesting and instructive. ests. At first there was no market 

 Topographically, the State may be for the timber and the best was cut 

 considered a plane, with its lowest into rails, hewed into sills, or used for 

 levels in the southwestern portions, firewood. Regular logging bees were 

 where it has an elevation of about 300 held and tree after tree was felled, 

 feet above sea level. The highest re- their massive trunks rolled together 

 gion is found in the central and east- and burned. The coming of the rail- 

 ern part where the general elevation roads introduced improved saw-mills 

 is between 900 and 1,300 feet above and transported their products to 

 sea level. From this region the land ready markets, while up to this time 

 slopes in every direction. The entire the forests had been removed mostly 

 northern portion of the State is cov- in the interests of agriculture, the de- 

 ered deeply with glacial drift, and sire for revenue now entered as a new 

 therefore, differs materially in the stimulus to forest destruction. A full 

 character of its soil from other re- appreciation of the conditions con- 

 gions. fronting the early pioneer reveals 

 The drainage is through the St. how naturally this policy of forest de- 

 Joseph to Lake Michigan, through the struction was inaugurated. And now 

 Kankakee to the Mississippi, through it is hardly to be expected that a people 

 the Maumee to Lake Erie, and who have for three or four generations 

 through the Wabash to the Ohio. By been so actively engaged in destroying 

 far the greater portion of the State is the forest which obstructed their pro- 

 drained through the Wabash and Kan- gress should busy themselves with the 

 kakee, while only the northeastern planting of tracts with a view of es- 

 counties enter the lake drainage. tablishing other forests. The descend- 

 Along these streams are rich valleys, ants have inherited the spirit of their 

 once thickly covered with the most fathers and have continued their work 

 valuable timber in the world. Fully of clearing and destroying and wast- 

 28,000 square miles covered with ing without due regard for changed 

 splended oak, walnut, ash, tulip, conditions or thought for the future. 

 cherry, maple, elm, hickory, beech and We are wont to condole this de- 

 sycamore was once our heritage. No- struction and point with pride to our 

 where in America did there exist a excellent farms, among the richest in 

 more magnificent hardwood forest the world, with their herds of cattle 

 than that which clothed four-fifths of and stock of all kinds. But do we 

 Indiana's area. Invaluable as such realize that there are in Indiana 13,- 



