1005 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



513 



Chippewa Indians, taking a portion of 

 the land and timber formerly granted 

 to them. With the sharp advance in 

 prices of timber, showing plainly the 

 partial exhaustion of best grades in 

 the East, the question arises, shall the 

 government establish forest reserva- 

 tions in the East also, where the land 

 and timber must be purchased, and 

 where both are held at relatively high 

 figures. The following are among the 

 reasons why forest reservations should 



the average higher prices than the or- 

 iginal crop cut within the memory of 

 men now living. In the disappearance 

 of the first crop of pine timber New 

 England suffered severely. Woodwork- 

 ing factories ceased to locate here ; the 

 mills disappeared ; population in large 

 sections decreased ; farms were aban- 

 doned. Even now the sash and door 

 factories that remain import much of 

 their best material from Michigan, and 

 the profits are not such as to encourage 



On the North Slope of the Presidential Range, White Mountains. 



be established in the East as well as in 

 the West : 



r. Proximity to market. Wood is 

 one of the great staple products of the 

 country upon which our wellbeing 

 rests in large measure. The advance 

 during the last five years in the prices 

 of all timber products has caused us 

 to open our eyes to an entirely new sit- 

 uation. Even the second or sapling 

 growth of white pine now being harv- 

 ested in New Hampshire is yielding on 



sons to follow the business of their 

 fathers. Is it not plain economy to 

 use non-agricultural l;md near the cen- 

 ters of population for timber crops? 

 r.rrause of the time element involved 

 in growing trees, private ownership 

 ran never be relied upon to do it satis 

 fartorily on a large scale. The si 

 of New York and Pennsylvania have 

 recognized this and have established 

 large state reserves, secured by pur- 

 chase. Their commendable action. 



