14 Eleventh Annual Report 



an adequate supply of timber and also that there are thousands 

 of acres of eroded hillsides and wornout fields in Indiana which 

 should be planted to forest trees. On investigation, however, it 

 will be found in a majority of the cases that the owners of such 

 lands are too poor to bear the expense of reforesting, so that this 

 important work is neglected and conditions annually become 

 worse. 



It is becoming more and more evident to students of this prob- 

 lem that the burden of reforesting and protecting such lands 

 should be transferred from the individual to the State, because 

 individuals will not invest in an enterprise in which they are com- 

 pelled to wait so long for returns as the growing of timber entails. 

 In view of the preceding situation it is recommended that the 

 State acquire by purchase as funds permit such lands of the State 

 as will not permanently support agriculture and devote them to 

 scientific forestry. 



Such a recommendation is not without precedent, since many 

 States are acquiring large holdings under various legislative en- 

 actments. Notable are the following: The Wisconsin forest re- 

 serves comprise approximately 427,000 acres, of which over 100,- 

 000 acres were purchased at an average price of $3 per acre. 

 The State of Pennsylvania has purchased 962,580 acres at an aver- 

 age price of $2.24 per acre, and has under contract the purchase 

 of about 40,000 acres more, maldng in all over a million acres. 

 The Adirondack and Catskill reserves of New York comprise 

 1,641,523 acres, 850,829 acres of which were condemned and pur- 

 chased at an average price of $4.42. 



It is very evident that if, in our own State, any substantial 

 advance is made there must be a recognition of valuable trees on 

 the part of the woodlot owner. In order that this may be pos- 

 sible a list of trees of the State has been prepared. By the aid 

 of this list and the accompanying keys the landowner will be able 

 to determine the composition of his woodlot, to decide what species 

 he desires to increase in number and what species he desires to re- 

 duce, and to estimate with some fair accuracy the value of his 

 stand. It is believed that the application of the knowledge con- 

 tained therein will result in a vastly improved and more profits 

 able management of the existing woodlots. 



State Board of Forestry. 



