the soil, humus and reproduction; another contemplated project is the 

 use of woods, treated and untreated, for fence posts. 



Examinations of forest conditions and resources will be continued so 

 that reliable information regarding the forests of every section and county 

 will ultimately be secured. Detailed regional or county studies will re- 

 place general studies made during the first year. A study of markets in 

 connection with the sale of minor woodlot products will help to aid farmers 

 and others not acquainted with the best means of disposing of their forest 

 products. There are a number of special studies which should be made 

 in the near future, perhaps the most important of which is a study of the 

 cedar industry in Central Texas. 



6. Co-operation in Preparing Working Plans. 



It is the aim to make the State Forestry Department of service to all 

 the people of the State. Co-operation with cities, corporations, public and 

 private institutions and individuals will be encouraged as rapidly as means 

 are available for doing the work. 



7. State and National Forests in Texas. 



Section 3 of the Forestry Act of 1915 authorizes the Board of Directors 

 to accept gifts of land and to purchase lands to be held, protected and 

 administered as State forests. Public spirit has not as yet been sufficiently 

 aroused among private owners to lead them to turn over any part of their 

 holdings to the State. Many owners of cut-over timberland in East Texas 

 could leave no better monument than a tract of land as a State forest. 

 There is abundant prospect that gifts will be made in the future when 

 private interests realize that iState forestry in Texas has become an estab- 

 lished and permanent issue. 



As soon as funds are available, small areas in a number of different 

 sections of the State should be purchased as demonstration forests to show 

 what may be accomplished through planting, reproducing and improving 

 the forests on lands of little agricultural value. Many States are purchasing 

 large tracts as State forests. Several have already acquired more than a 

 million acres each for the protection of tributary streams and to grow 

 timber for the future. This may prove to be desirable in Texas but at 

 present the State forest policies which Texas should strive to emulate 

 are those which provide for purchasing small, more or less widely scattered 

 tracts for purposes of demonstration. 



The Federal Government under the Weeks Law is engaged in the 

 purchase of non-agricultural forest lands in the Southern Appalachian 

 Mountain States and in New Hamshire as National forests to protect the 

 headwaters of navigable streams. So far purchases have only been made 

 in the above regions and of course only where the States have passed 

 enabling acts, authorizing the Federal Government to make these purchases 

 for the purpose named. While there is no immediate likelihood that the 

 Government will enter new regions for purposes of purchase under the 

 Weeks Law these purchases may be made in any iState which has given 

 its sanction. It would be desirable for the next Legislature to pass such 

 an enabling act as expressing to Congress approval of this work and in 

 order that National forests may sometime be established in Texas. 



