39^ Procee:dings of the 



prepared to entertain propositions to purchase land in 

 the regions which are tributary to the Ohio River. 



We here merely allude to the ever recurring vital 

 question of forest fires, to say that v^hile we still 

 anticipate our share of trouble, nevertheless public 

 sentiment in Pennsylvania never was so crystalized 

 against those who create them as now. This, of 

 course, means fewer fires and a prompter suppression 

 of them than ever before. 



In the way of restoration of timber a good start has 

 been made. We have opened an experimental plan- 

 tation of white pine, and this year also made a good 

 start in cultivation of black walnut. One nursery 

 contains probably 300,000 seedlings which will be 

 ready to set out in the coming spring. Our intention 

 is to give the hardy catalpa a full, fair trial, though 

 from what we have already seen of it in Pennsylvania 

 our hopes are not as yet very high in regard to the 

 tree. 



The railroad directors of the State are considering 

 the propriety of entering upon the cultivation of our 

 black locut for cross ties, and one of our leading 

 railroad corporations has already growing and in good 

 condition about 250,000 young locust trees. 



For the near future our State Forestry Commis- 

 sion is contemplating planting considerable areas, old 

 farms obtained along with more extensive purchases, 

 in white pine. This tree formerly grew there, and is 

 now growing in the land adjacent in most thriving 

 and desirable condition, with tall, straight limbless 

 trunks, which promises a harvest of the oldtime ''cork 

 pine." 



Our chief difficulty in the way of scientific forestry 

 work has been the want of trained wardens. If we 

 had enough of these we could for the time being get 



