66 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



land has 22 per cent, of her entire area covered by a planted forest from 

 which that country averages an annual profit of between $8 and $10 per 

 acre. We have about 20 per cent, of our total area covered with poor 

 second growth of little or no value and 5 per cent, by fairly good natural 

 forests which are rapidly being destroyed for all time. Switzerland has 

 780 acres of land employed as tree nurseries; we use 30 acres for the same 

 purpose. Switzerland plants from her gardens twenty-two million trees 

 each year; we have been planting from ours each year five hundred thousand 

 (500,000), now about a million, and buy from Germany about one million 

 (1,000,000) more. 



The annual net profit per acre realized from all the wooded area in 

 this State will probably not exceed ten cents per acre. Why should we not 

 do as well in time as Switzerland is doing? Not to be impoverished 

 altogether in this respect, we must bestir ourselves immediately. It takes 

 many years for a planted forest to mature. Trees must be planted by the 

 millions each year. To get this done the State should offer the best induce- 

 ments possible; trees should be furnished at a very low price and land 

 dedicated to tree growing should be exempted from taxation for a long 

 period of years, at least as to its increased value. Money should be apppro- 

 priated freely to allow us to produce at least thirty million trees (30,000,000) 

 each year for this purpose. It is undoubtedly the most important work 

 we have to do. Why delay it longer either for lack of appropriations or 

 proper legislation? 



While the highways of the State, town and village park systems, 

 woodlands and farms, and many other pieces of wooded country are not 

 within the jurisdiction or control of this Department, I venture to suggest 

 a few things in relation to the same. 



First, it seems to us that along every rod of good roads constructed 

 by the State or counties, shade trees should be planted on either side, 

 principallv for the reason that it has been demonstrated that when the 

 surface of a road constructed under the good roads system is kept slightly 

 moist, the surface of the road does not " thread " and blow away into the 

 fields. It is the reverse of the right practice in relation to country dirt 

 roads; they should be kept dry. In addition to this very beneficial effect, 

 shade trees planted equal distances apart along a road running through 



