REPORT ON FORESTS. ' 267 



The great function of the forest on the sandy soils of Southern 

 New Jersey is the beneficial influence which it exerts on the 

 quality of the soil, both physically and chemically. The forest 

 fixes the soil, preventing it from shifting. The winds would 

 blow it from place to place were it absolutely bare. The forest 

 brings from the subsoils inorganic materials which it deposits 

 on the surface in the leaves and wood. The soil is enriched and 

 protected from the beating and leaching force of the rain and the 

 drying effects of both sun and wind. The granules of silica are 

 gradually comminuted by the chemical action of decomposing 

 organic matter so that the influence of the forest on a coarse, 

 sandy soil tends to render it more and more of the nature of 

 loam, and finally, in the course of ages, fertile and able to sup- 

 port not only a dense forest growth, such as Fontainbleau, but 

 even in time fit it for agricultural purposes. In fact, this is the 

 only rational form of treatment for such soils, and although they 

 may become fit for agricultural purposes in the course of time, 

 the forest should be one of a series of crops. In this system of 

 rotation the interval from the time the forest is cut until the 

 land is allowed to come again in forest should be short. 



In rocky regions the soil is constantly fed by disintegrating 

 stones on the surface and in time recuperates, but with sandy 

 soil the only natural fertilization is by means of the forest, 

 which returns, in part at least, the materials which have 

 leached into the deeper layers of the soil while the land was 

 under cultivation. 



Since, then, considering all things, the State is not justified 

 in purchasing and managing these pine lands, and since it is 

 extremely doubtful whether their condition would be materially 

 changed by State ownership, it is important to consider the 

 circumstances which fetter private ownership. It is safe to 

 assume, without further discussion, that the woods of South 

 Jersey, for a long time to come at least, are destined to remain 

 in the hands of private parties. They must be regarded, there- 

 fore, as business and not protective forests, although they may 

 of course perform both functions at the same time. The possi- 

 bilities of successful forest management from a business stand- 

 point are dependent upon certain fundamental conditions. 

 These forests must be regarded in the light of supply forests for 



