TOWN FORESTS 135 



gone so far as to enact special legislation covering 

 not only the utilization of such public lands as may 

 already belong to the community, but also the legal- 

 ized acquisition of additional areas. The constitu- 

 tional justification is clear. When any real need 

 cannot be fully supplied by private initiative, it 

 becomes a public duty to perform the service. If an 

 adequate city water supply cannot be properly fur- 

 nished by private individuals, it must be provided by 

 the public, even at a financial loss on the operation. 

 The wood supply offers no different problem. 

 Nation and state may do their part, but the com- 

 munity takes pride in its ability to look after itself, 

 and it will always do so. 



The city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, claims the 

 first officially established town forest in the United 

 States. During 1914 it purchased a number of 

 small wood-lots partially scattered, aggregating in 

 all about one hundred acres, the scattering of the 

 lots being in no way a disadvantage as the fire risk 

 is accordingly decreased. Part of the land already 

 has a fairly good second growth of pine, and the 

 remainder is being rapidly planted. Other Massa- 

 chusetts towns which own forests are Walpole and 

 Petersham, while Brookline also uses its three 

 hundred and fifty acres of watershed for timber 

 production. Walpole acquired its lands by gift, and 



