The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 169 



How Louisiana Is Solving fhe 

 Reforestation Problem 



By M. L. Alexander 



Commissioner Department of Conservation, 

 State of Louisiana 



How Louisiana is solving the reforestation problem by the 

 actual growing of trees was told the Cut-Over Land Conference 

 of the South by Hon. M. L. Alexander, Commissioner, Depart- 

 ment of Conservation, State of Louisiana. 



"On the State Forest Reserve at Urania, La., a forest is 

 being made again," said Mr. Alexander. "Not a wild tangle- 

 wood of shrubs and seedlings, but of real trees. Trees that will 

 make lumber of a superior grade are growing on fields that dur- 

 ing the Civil War period grew cotton for blockade running to 

 England. Here we have trees of every age that were not of the 

 virgin forests, but sprang from them, and in which the hand of 

 man has but assisted nature." 



The speaker declared that one of the first results of the ex- 

 periments was to discover that, not forest fires, as had at first 

 been supposed, but the razorback hog, was responsible for the „"^*' ,,"^„ 

 fact that the prized long-leaf pine had for many years failed to 

 reforest itself. 



"Mr. Hardtner's investigations," be continued, "proved that 

 the kernel of the long-leaf seed is oily, rich in nutritious matter, 

 and palatable to the hog. When the seedlings are one year old 

 the root and short stem are spongy, sweet and tender, and it is 

 amazing how many seeds, seedlings and saplings a razorback 

 can finish up in a half a day's work, one hog averaging five seed- 

 lings a minute. The seed of the short-leaf and loblolly are very 

 small, and neither these nor the seedlings are relished by the 

 hogs. 



"On the preserve we now have 2,500 acres inclosed with a 

 hog-proof wire fence, 2,500 acres under an ordinary fence and 

 2,500 unfenced. In the hog-proofed area the long-leaf pine seed- 

 lings are numerous, in the regularly fenced area there are a very 



Hog a Menace 



