459 



cases have been repealed and in a considerable number of other cases de- 

 clared unconstitutional. Such laws "have had some slight educational 

 value, but they have led neither to the planting nor to the preservation of 

 forests." 4 



Laws falling under the second group, on the contrary, seem to have 

 greatly advanced the cause of forestry. This has been done mainly by 

 gathering information, cooperating with private land owners and giving 

 advice concerning the care of private holdings and tree plantings. In many 

 states, state forests have been established and these have in every in- 

 stauce proved of high value. To quote directly from Mr. Cleveland. 5 

 "These State forests represent a line of state action which has been pre- 

 eminently successful. New York leads the list in State forest area (1,611,- 

 817 acres), followed by Pennsylvania (863,000), and Wisconsin (253,573 

 acres.) The smaller attempts of Minnesota, Michigan, Connecticut. Mas- 

 sachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, etc.. are all important. The State forests 

 speak for themselves. First, they furnish object lessons of great value ; 

 second, they form the nucleus of what some day must be the principal 

 center of state forest work. It is a fundamentally sound policy for the 

 State to own land, especially land which does not offer the conditions 

 necessary for prosperous settlement." 



Under existing conditions in our own state, the most important and 

 immediate duty is an extension of knowledge concerning the significance 

 of existing timbered areas in their relation to the future of the forests and 

 of the wood working industries , of their value as investments ; of meth- 

 ods of management and utilization which will secure the maximum revenue 

 without deterioration of the stand ; of the importance of reinforcing nat- 

 ural seeel regeneration and of a more general practice of wisely considered 

 afforestation methods. The most casual inspection of the present timbered 

 areas would prove sufficient to convince the most skeptical of the impor- 

 tance of intelligent and persistent effort along the lines indicated. If. in 

 addition, we consider the large area of land at present utterly unproduc- 

 tive, areas which are increasing in extent each year, some wisely planned 

 and judiciously applied remedial measures seem absolutely imperative. 

 The Academy of Science could do much as a body and through the efforts 

 of its members to aid in this work. The problem is sufficiently acute to 



i snd 5 status of Forestry in the United States. Forest Service Circular 107, Sep- 

 tember, 1909, p. 21. 



