PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 



North Carolina Forestry Association 



HELD IN 



Raleigh, N. C, Wednesday, February 21, 1912 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION 



Morning Session. 



The Convention was called to order in the Hall of the House of Rep- 

 resentatives at 10 :45 a. m., by the President, Dr. D. H. Hill. After the 

 opening prayer, which was offered by the Reverend A. D. Wilcox, of the 

 Central Methodist Church, President Hill introduced Governor "W. W. 

 Kitchin, who welcomed the delegates and visitors to Raleigh and to the 

 Convention. The Governor's address was in part as follows : 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY GOVERNOR W. W. KITCHIJf. 



While not congratulating you on the vast numbers present, I am glad to 

 see so many here, representing such a varied citizenship. The accomplish- 

 ment of your purpose does not depend on numbers, but on the enthusiasm 

 and interest of those present and upon the literature which will go out from 

 this meeting and this Association, and which will no doubt be read by 

 thousands. 



I am very much interested in the question of forest protection, but I real- 

 ize that it is hard to get many people interested who have small forest hold- 

 ings. This Association gives the opportunity to all citizens to join in the 

 forestry movement. The net results will be beyond calculation. 



If there is any land blessed by nature more than another, it is the Coastal 

 Plain region of North Carolina. People wonder why longleaf pine will not 

 reproduce itself on the cut-over forest lands of this region as the old field 

 pine does. There is just one reason, and that is the hog. Hogs dig down 

 in the loose, sandy soil and devour the succulent roots of the longleaf pine, 

 whereas the roots of the shortleaf pine, being smaller and fibrous, escape 

 destruction. In counties where hogs are kept from the forest you find young 

 longleaf pines, showing that these pines under favorable conditions will 

 reproduce themselves as well as the old field pine. I am not advocating a 

 hog or stock law, as this is a local question for each community to solve. 

 I am not in favor of killing all the hogs, either. 



In the mountains of this State, where the forests are chiefly hardwoods, 

 the underbrush and young growth, if allowed to grow up, will prevent floods 

 and washing of the land as effectively as the old uncut forests. 



This question of forestry must be brought home to the average man. Large 

 holders are, of course, intensely interested; but the average man of North 



