No. 4.] REPORT OF STATK FORESTER. 381) 



A reform in our tax laws as applied to woodlands would be 

 a step towards bringing individual and public interest to- 

 gether. 



State Fokests. 



The Commonwealth ought to extend its policy of park 

 reservation to include genuine State forests. The reserva- 

 tions that have been made so far are distinctly for park 

 purposes ; there are, however, considerable areas in these 

 reservations that could be used for timl)er growino-. For- 

 tions of the Middlesex Fells and the Blue Hills reservations 

 might be so utilized without any reduction in their value 

 as parks ; on the contrary, their park features would be 

 enhanced. The same might be said of Mount Wachusett, 

 Mount Tom and Greylock reservations, the Province Lands 

 on the Cape, and the land surrounding the Clinton reser- 

 voir. The land about this reservoir is already being planted 

 by the Metroi)olitan Water and Sewerage Board. The for- 

 est in the Mount AVachusett Reservation is also beinij 

 improved by the connnission, which has that reservation in 

 charge. It is to be hoped that all of the boards and com- 

 missions having State lands under their charge Avill follow 

 these good examples, and make the lands that the State 

 owns as productive of forest sup})lies as is consistent with 

 the purpose for which they were acquired. 



But the lands mentioned are small in area, and the State 

 might well follow the precedent established by several other 

 States, and accjuire lands for the purpose of growing timber 

 on them. New York has a forest reserve of 1,43(>,000 

 acres, and Pennsylvania has acquired 572,000 acres for for- 

 est purposes. New Jersey, Connecticut and other States 

 have also adopted reservation policies. 



Lands for forest reservations can very often l)e acquired 

 at a small cost. A few years ago Connecticut bought 900 

 acres at an average cost of only $1.64 per acre. In Massa- 

 chusetts they could be had for $5 and under. There are 

 large areas of overgrown, stony, abandoned pastures, cut- 

 over lands that have been burned repeated^, scrub oak 

 lands and the like, that are in such condition that an indi- 

 vidual owner cannot afford to improve them. The State can 



