FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 69 



Second. — Every effort should be put forth to encourage individuals 

 and corporations owning woodland, to see that it is to their advantage not 

 to make clear cuttings on any of the poor, thin soil on steep land in the 

 forest preserve counties. If that cannot be done by moral suasion and 

 appeal to public interest, then the fullest power of the State should be 

 invoked, and it should be prohibited in the interest of public welfare. 



Third. — It being apparent to all who have studied the subject 

 carefully that commercial trees may be grown profitably; that 100,000 

 board feet may be produced per acre, where nature in her best forests 

 produces not more than 20,000 feet; that the future demand for lumber 

 will be so great, the supply so small unless cultivated forests are grown 

 for commercial purposes, the State should offer every inducement within 

 reason to encourage the people generally to undertake this work exten- 

 sively. To do this, the suggestion of trees, practically free, seems to us to 

 be one inducement that may be very consistent with the general policy of 

 the State. That to relieve land dedicated to planting and growing trees, 

 at least from increased taxes over and above its present value when it is so 

 dedicated and used, seems to us to be another eminently proper inducement 

 to offer as an encouragement for this work. 



Fourth. — In order to have the trees in sufficient quantities to meet 

 the demand that will soon be made upon us, and to furnish the number of 

 trees that should be yearly planted, there should be appropriated for the 

 building of more tree gardens, and the employing of the men necessary to 

 take care of them, the purchasing and gathering of seed and procuring 

 equipment, all the money necessary for such purposes. Ten thousand 

 or twenty thousand dollars a year will not go very far in producing thirty 

 million trees annually. It has been demonstrated this year (as is shown 

 by Forester Pettis' report to this Department) to be dangerous to purchase 

 trees from Europe owing to the fact that diseases of trees very dangerous 

 to those planted and to those which are growing naturally may be brought 

 here with trees imported into this country. It was only by the most active 

 efforts and skill of our trained foresters that we prevented the Eiiropean 

 currant rust during the season from spreading among the pine trees of this 

 State. That, in itself, indicates the great danger ol procuring trees from 



