State Board of Forestry. 41 



scarce now that the preservation and restoration of our forests is 

 a very important problem, hence the question, ''To what extent 

 should Indiana be reforested?" confronts us. 



The places that should be reforested are the sections of land 

 not adapted to agriculture. Hilly country is not suitable for farm- 

 ing, it cannot be easily tilled, and the soil has generally been 

 washed off the rocks. There are many acres of such land in Brown 

 County. If the lands that have always been poor or have been 

 made so by improper usage should be properly reforested, the leaf- 

 mould caused by the fallen leaves would enrich them and make 

 them valuable. A great many tracts of land are located so as to 

 be unprofitable for agriculture. They may be too far away from 

 town or from the owner's home. Some plots are too small, being 

 cut off from large fields by railroads, creeks or roads. Many 

 streams wa^h banks and make them irregular. If the right kind 

 of trees were set out, they would have a tendency to hold the 

 banks in. 



Public property and lands not used for anything else should be 

 utilized for trees. If trees were neatly and tastefully arranged 

 around churches, schoolhouses, jails, libraries, halls and court- 

 houses they would be a protection, would beautify the surround- 

 ings, and around the schoolhouses would serve as a shade for the 

 pupils during playtime. Trees should be set out on roadsides and 

 public highways, to serve as windbreaks for the protection of the 

 traveler and to beautify the roads. Of course, the old question 

 would arise concerning the drying of the roads. It should be a 

 supervisor's duty to keep the roads well graded, the trees well 

 trimmed, and it would not be necessary for the roads to be muddy. 

 There are large government reservations not being used at present 

 which should be reforested. 



Trees should be set out along the streets of our towns and cities 

 between the sidewalk and the curbing. The street, indeed, looks 

 beautiful that is well shaded by tastefully arranged trees. Every 

 town or city should have a park to beautify them or to be a place 

 of pleasure. What is a park without some trees ? 



Where or who is the farmer that does not like a beautiful coun- 

 try home, which cannot be made so unless some trees are used? 

 How pretty is the small woodlot near the home of the farmer? 

 Every farmer should have a woodlot. Ten acres would be the re- 

 quired amount on a farm of 160 acras in Boone County. The 

 woodlot serves as a protection to the building? and orchard, also 

 a convenient place to put young animals in, if it is placed near 



