50 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



the activities provided for by the legislature of 1919, 

 thus : "The Governor shall appoint four persons, one 

 of whom shall be familiar with the timber industry, 

 one with the live-stock industry, one with the hay 

 and grain industry and one at large, who together 

 with the State Forester shall constitute the State 

 Board of Forestry, which shall supervise and direct 

 all matters of State forest policy, management and 

 protection." The enactment is unique in providing 

 that a majority of the board consist of representa- 

 tives of lumbering and agriculture, but the arrange- 

 ment has worked so well that the legislature of 1921 

 refused to include this board in a general merging 

 of special commissions which was largely accom- 

 plished by it. The functions of the State Board of 

 Forestry are also somewhat unique, in that it has 

 added to the usual undertakings of forest protection, 

 promotion of tree planting along the highways (for 

 which a State Nursery was established in 1921) ; 

 the important work of county organization for sub- 

 duing field fires and experimentation in the line of re- 

 forestation of cut-over lands, to demonstrate to pri- 

 vate owners the practicability and profitability of 

 such enterprise on their part. 



Forest planting as a promising investment for fu- 

 ture profit has been a popular topic for discussion 

 ever since the pioneers began settlement on the tree- 

 less plains of California but, beyond scattered plant- 

 ing for local woodlots and for shade and ornamental 

 purposes, very little has been accomplished. Now 

 and then agitation arises for the planting of acacia 



