PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 305 
mixed varieties of timber to cut the choicest for home use or to sell, as these 
produced the most money at the time. And thus we find, in many localities, only 
the trees of least value are left. This gives rise to the opinion that timber lands are 
unprofitable. A mixed forest, while a beautiful object, is not so sure a money 
maker as where most of the trees are of one variety. 
In the Middle States the forests were of oak, basswood, sycamore, hickory, 
ash, sugar maple, hackberry, walnut, yellow poplar, beech, elm etc., with paw paw, 
haw, willow, and various shrub growths filling in the gaps. In this way all these 
trees are of value, but the lumberman will pay cash for the oak and walnut, a 
lower price for others and totally refuse the great majority of trees. If all were 
yellow poplar or oak, ash or walnut the demand would be far greater and prices 
obtained more remunerative. These artificial plantations are more profitable when 
all are of one kind of timber. Every worthless tree or those of little value occupy 
space which should be producing more important timber. 
TAXATION OF FORESTS. 
The various State governments are largely responsible for the loss of the 
forests, the value of which, for climatic effect, and for future manufacturing 
industries, is yet too little understood. 
The assessment of forest property, where it is held especially for this purpose, 
should be upon a very low basis. It is unjust to the people who will come after 
us, and who must build upon the foundation which this generation is erecting, 
that the forests are being sacrificed; and to a large extent this is a result of 
excessive taxation upon forest lands without affording adequate protection to this 
class of property. 
The Indiana law, which provides that forests shall be assessed for taxation at 
a specific and low valuation, is the true method of taxing timber lands. 
REPLANTING FOREST LANDS. 
The sandy lands of Florida were but recently covered with a fine body of 
yellow pine. The practice of the early settlers of burning of the annual vegetation 
in order to have fresh grass for stock, totally destroved all young growths; hence 
new pine forests can not exist. The boxing for turpentine has not been conducive 
to forest perpetuation, as the trees are being slowly killed by the process. 
The average crops, alwavs certain so long as surrounding forests kept off 
excessive frosts, and the early market gardens protected by the woodlands have 
been gradually becoming more precarious as the lands become denuded. 
These should be restored wherever the lands are not needed for cultivation. 
Such lands, if seeded, naturally or planted, will produce pine timber; although 
possibly some other trees will be more quickly profitable. 
The Michigan pine barren, after removal of the timber. have very little 
worth. There is ample moisture in Northern Michigan to insure good tree 
growth, and there are other varieties of timber which will succeed on these lands. 
Now that wood pulp is in such demand, extensive tracts of poplars should 
be planted. If the common cottonwood will not succeed there are many other 
