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RACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 305 



mixed varieties of timber to cut the choicest for home use or to sell, as these 

 produced the most money at the time. And thus we find, in many localities, only 

 the trees of least value are left. This gives rise to the opinion that timber lands are 

 unprofitable. A mixed forest, while a beautiful object, is not so sure a money 

 maker as where most of the trees are of one variety. 



In the Middle States the forests were of oak, basswood, sycamore, hickory, 

 ash, sugar maple, hackberry, walnut, yellow poplar, beech, elm etc., with paw paw, 

 haw, willow, and various shrub growths filling in the gaps. In this way all these 

 trees are of value, but the lumberman will pay cash for the oak and walnut, a 

 lower price for others and totally refuse the great majority of trees. If all were 

 yellow poplar or oak, ash or walnut the demand would be far greater and prices 

 obtained more remunerative. These artificial plantations are more profitable when 

 all are of one kind of timber. Every worthless tree or those of little value occupy 

 space which should be producing more important timber. 



TAXATION OF FORESTS. 



The various State governments are largely responsible for the loss of the 

 forests, the value of which, for climatic effect, and for future manufacturing 

 industries, is yet too little understood. 



The assessment of forest property, where it is held especially for this purpose, 

 should be upon a very low basis. It is unjust to the people who will come after 

 us. and who must build upon the foundation which this generation is erecting, 

 that the forests are being sacrificed ; and to a large extent this is a result of 

 excessive taxation upon forest lands without affording adequate protection to this 

 class of property. 



The Indiana law, which provides that forests shall be assessed for taxation at 

 a specific and low valuation, is the true method of taxing timber lands. 



REPLANTING FOREST LANDS. 



The sandy lands of Florida were but recently covered with a fine body of 

 yellow pine. The practice of the early settlers of burning of the annual vegetation 

 in order to have fresh grass for stock, totally destroyed all young growths ; hence 

 new pine forests can not exist. The boxing for turpentine has not been conducive 

 to forest perpetuation, as the trees are being slowly killed by the process. 



The average crops, always certain so long as surrounding forests kept off 

 excessive frosts, and the early market gardens protected by the woodlands have 

 been gradually becoming more precarious as the lands become denuded. 



These should be restored wherever the lands are not needed for cultivation. 

 Such lands, if seeded, naturally or planted, will produce pine timber; although 

 possibly some other trees will be more quickly profitable. 



The Michigan pine barren, after removal of the timber, have very little 

 worth. There is ample moisture in Northern Michigan to insure good tree 

 growth, and there are other varieties of timber which will succeed on these lands. 



Xow that wood pulp is in such demand, extensive tracts of poplars should 

 be planted. If the common cotton wood will not succeed there are many other 



