TAX LANDS AND FORESTRY. 29 



NATURAL, EATHER THAN ARTIFICAL REFORESTATION SHOULD BE RELIED ON, 



AND AMPLE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FIRE PROTECTION SHOULD NOT 



BE CURTAILED TO PROVIDE FOR ARTIFICAL PLANTING. 



Reforestation of the cut-over lands will come in a large way 

 by natural growth if general fire protection is provided, and it 

 is reasonable to hope that, with such protection, individual effort 

 may be induced to undertake reforestation ventures upon a scale that 

 will ultimately produce a proper balance between forest area and tilled 

 land. Much of the land that yearly crowds the Auditor General's list 

 of lands returned delinquent for taxes is cut-over, denuded, waste land 

 that is now kept practically useless. Whatever grows upon it grows in 

 vain, for before it can reach a point of utility fire comes in and destroys 

 it. Repetition of this process is steadily reducing this land toward ulti- 

 mate conditions of permanent waste. The loss involved is in the aggre- 

 gate very great. It would be saved by adequate Are protection, and 

 such protection would convert great areas of land that are now a nuis- 

 ance into productive forest land essential to our material prosperity and 

 development. In this way, only, is it feasible for the State, without 

 purchasing immense areas, to make provision for forest land sufficient 

 in extent to produce enough lumber and wood products to satisfy the 

 needs of the people of the State, or to influence materially conditions 

 eflfecting water supply and stream flow. 



The furnishing of general fire protection, therefore, is the most vitally 

 important of all the problems under consideration. If any curtailment 

 of expenditure is deemed necessary, the last place for it is in reference 

 to the Are problem. Reforestation of the State's reserves, in part at 

 least, will be necessary by planting or seeding; but such artificial re- 

 forestation should be postponed rather than the furnishing of general 

 fire protection, if a curtailment of expenses is necessary. Such refor- 

 estation by artificial means as shall be resorted to for the State reserves, 

 should be undertaken only in a conservative, careful and deliberate 

 way. Wherever there is a prospect that nature will do something her- 

 self unaided, it is wise to wait and let her do it; for she works for 

 nothing. Such planting as is to be done should be undertaken piece- 

 meal, from year to year, so as to bring the annual expenditure within 

 reasonable limits. And the expenditure of money for work of this nature 

 should first be given the approval of the legislature, acting upon definite 

 recommendations submitted from time to time by the Commission in 

 charge of forestry matters. State action along the line of artificial re- 

 forestation must be taken against a certain conservatism on the part of 

 many who regard forestry generally as more or less a new and unproved 

 experiment. Many people, in spite of the historical facts, still have a 

 feeling that what has not been within their own personal knowledge 

 or observation, that what their nearest neighbors have not actually 

 done, must be more or less experimeiital ; and they have a fear that the 

 State, should it undertake to reforest artificially in a large way, may 

 involve itself in expenditure beyond reason. It is not well to override 

 even prejudice or unfounded fear in the adoption of a plan which must, 

 for its successful working, largely depend upon the general good will 

 and co-operation. But it is well to lay down clearly, as the cardinal 

 rules of future action in the way of reforestation of the State reserves, 



