No. 4.J FARM FORESTRY. 293 



to-day. By the census of 1895, our wooded area is given as 

 nearly 1,500,000 acres, and its value as almost $24,000,000. 

 While this is a gain in woodland area in ten years of more 

 than 71,000 acres, its valuation shows a shrinkage of some- 

 thing over $1,300,000 in the same period of time. In thirty 

 years the value of our woodland has increased some $440,000, 

 and the acreage increase shows almost identically the same 

 figures. Judging by the census returns, the character of 

 our woodlands appears to have improved on the whole in 

 the ten years from 1885 to 1895, but the depreciation in 

 value of more than $1,300,000 seems to indicate that further 

 improvement is possible. 



The same census shows that we have in permanent pas- 

 tures, swamps and other waste country some 250,000 acres 

 less than in 1885. That in itself looks promising ; but when 

 we compare the values for 1885 with those of 1895, it is 

 seen that there has been a falling off of almost $4,000,000. 

 This would make this land worth more than $15 an acre, 

 which is pretty high for waste country. The loss is not off- 

 set by a gain in arable land, for a loss is shown in that class, 

 and with a gain in valuation, notwithstanding. The gain 

 of 71,000 acres in woodland is not enough to balance it. 

 Some of it may have gone into residential propert}^ but 

 still the tremendous loss in valuation remains. 



Our farmers have an opportunity to make good this loss 

 by making these lands, which are no better than a burden 

 to-day, yield a revenue to their owners and to the Common- 

 wealth by planting trees upon them. 



When it is deemed advisable to plant any part of the farm 

 to trees, there are several points Avhich should be carefully 

 considered before even the variety of tree to be used is 

 thought of. First, it should be determined whether the 

 owner desires to realize from his labor by an actual harvest 

 during his own lifetmie, or merely to increase the value of 

 his farm that he may sell it thus im))roved a few years hence 

 with a promising growth of timber trees upon it, or to make 

 the plantation in the nature of an in\cstnu>nt for the IxMiclit 

 of his children. Having settled this phase of the problem 

 in his mind, his next move is to study the character of the 

 soil, to ascertain what varieties of trees it is best ada[)ted 



