s 



SAX DIEGO'S MUNICIPAL FOREST. 480 



during the spring of 1912, making three aration will be given. Practically all 



hundred acres now in trees. These the land so far planted is under culti- 



trees will make a growth of about eight vation. 



feet per year, and in three years' time The development of a Municipal 



should be of sufficient dimension to be Forest and Farm afforded a splendid 



available for fence posts. At this time opportunity for the city to take steps 



the trees will be thinned, leaving not toward solving some of its most vexing 



more than two hundred trees per acre social problems. 



to come to maturity as timber trees. The idea first advanced was for the 

 It was not until the active develop- institution of a plant for sending the 

 ment of this land had been undertaken vagrants and habitual drunkards of the 

 that its actual value for various usages city to the farm on probation for a term 

 was appreciated. It was seen that, of a few months ; the drunks to first 

 lying as the greater portion does, with be given a drug cure to eliminate as 

 the mountains on one side and the far as possible the desire for drink. A 

 Pacific on the other, with the rapid camp was first established, however, 

 growth of the city this land would soon mainly for relieving the unemployed of 

 become reservable as sites for subur- the city, although many have been sent 

 ban homes. Many acres are also well from the Police Court. The men have 

 adapted to intensive farming for the been given employment, each at fifty 

 growing of small fruits and vegetables cents per day and board. This plan 

 and could be subdivided and leased for has proven a complete success in every 

 this purpose to good advantage. A particular. Hundreds of men have 

 good portion of this agricultural land been benefited by the clean, wholesome 

 has been planted to grain for the use work afforded, and all the planting this 

 of the farm stock and that of the dif- spring has been done with this labor 

 ferent departments of the city. For with good results. It is doubtful if a 

 this reason it was decided to confine better plan could be devised for the 

 the planting to that portion of the land solution of these problems in any city 

 not so well suited to general argicul- than the establishment of a Municipal 

 tural or building purposes. As far is Forest and Farm, and the employment 

 possible the planting will be confined of these men under such a plan. A Mu- 

 to the canyons and hillsides, and the nicipal Forest is a good business in- 

 less valuable land. In planting on the vestment, and the useful employment 

 steep canyon sides it is impossible to of a class that has to be supported by 

 follow the method described, but as far the city directly or indirectly is also a 

 as the land will permit the fullest prep- good investment for the taxpayer. 



LUMBERMEN HELP FORESTERS. 



W. T. Cox, Minnesota state forester, reports that co-operation received from lumber- 

 men in the northern part of the state has been such as to do away with forest fire dangers. 

 He said that town officials and residents have also assisted. The heavy rains of the spring 

 have done much to keep fires from starting in the ivoods. 



FOREST PRODUCT STATISTICS. 



The Forest Product Statistics of New York State for the year 1911, gathered by the 

 Conservation Commission, show that the lumber and pulpivood output exceeded that of the 

 preceding year, but that there was a falling off in wood used for alcohol, excelsior and 

 cooperage. 



The output cf the forests in 1910 showed a decrease of 25 per cent from that of 1908; 

 a decline of about 300,000,000 feet in three years. The annual removal of about one billion 

 feet of wood material from the forests and woodlands of the state cannot go on indefinitely 

 without reforestation on a large scale. 



