110 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



March 



tant province of the State that of 

 stimulating proper action by education 

 and persuasive means. This could be 

 accomplished, ( I ) by creating a fa- 

 vorable sentiment among the people ; 

 (2) by demonstrating the practica- 

 bility of forestry; (3) by aiding and 

 directing the farmer's efforts. 



The existence of a public sentiment 

 favorable to forestry has been pre- 

 viously remarked, but it remains for 



more valuable for other purposes ; and 

 upon the ability of the forester: (i) 

 to assure adequate protection to the 

 forest at small expense; (2) to pro- 

 duce a merchantable product within 

 a reasonable time. From these it is 

 evident that the best conditions for 

 the practice of economic forest man- 

 agement are found in just such locali- 

 ties as we are now considering. Here 

 tree growth is rapid, the market is 



Young Walnut (Jui/lanx niijr/i) on the farm of J. N. Beach, near Linden. The wal- 

 nuts were scattered thickly in a potato patch and cultivated in and then allowed 

 to care lor themselves. The trees are straight and well formed, about thirty feet 

 high, and three to six inches in diameter. This farm is in a prairie region and the 

 walnut grove serves as an excellent wind break for the house. The grove was 

 planted in 1882. 



the State to further stimulate and di- 

 rect it. Tt should not prove difficult 

 to demonstrate the practicability of 

 forestry in a region so favorable to 

 it as Indiana. Ideal application of 

 forestry principles to the management 

 of supply forests depends upon the 

 existence of : ( I ) favorable conditions 

 for forest growth : ( j) a ready market 

 for both the better and inferior kinds 

 of material produced; (3) soils not 



unexcelled, transportation facilities 

 are of the best and desirable land is 

 available. The problem appears sim- 

 ple enough. How is it being solved? 

 The first attempt at forest legisla- 

 tion was in 1899, when the General 

 Assembly of Indiana enacted a forest 

 reservation law, whereby upon any 

 tracts of land a portion, not to exceed 

 one-eighth of the total area, could be 

 selected as a permanent forest reser- 



