36 • FOKEST CONDITIONS IN LOUISIANA. 



handling the remaining lands owned by the State would seem to be 

 to place them under perpetual State management, leasing the agri- 

 cultural rights and selling the timber at current market prices as it 

 matures. Moreover, it might be possible for the State to purcha'se 

 denuded lands at a price not to exceed $2 per acre, place them also 

 under management, and protect them from fire. If private owners 

 are able to hold their cut-over lands for future returns, as some are 

 already doing, it would seem that the State, which is perpetual and 

 not subject to taxation, could afford to do so. Such tax lands as are 

 chiefly valuable for the growing of timber might also be reserved 

 by the State as part, of its forest system. The remaining school sec- 

 tions could be reserved and maintained under the same plan, the 

 income being used as now for the benefit of the schools. 



In 1905 Wisconsin set aside all the State lands bearing timber, a 

 total area of more than 250,000 acres. Additional land has been pur- 

 chased and the area of State forests now amounts to 385,000 acres. 

 The forest land about Itasca Lake, at the headwaters of the Missis- 

 sippi Biver, has been reserved by the State of Minnesota. Michigan 

 has over 230,000 acres in State forests. As early as 1897 the Penn- 

 sylvania Legislature authorized the creation of State forest reserves 

 through the purchase of land at tax sales. Two years later the State 

 was authorized to purchase timber lands at a maximum price of $5 

 per acre. At the present time Pennsylvania has more than 920,000 

 acres in reserve. New York State, starting with a nucleus of 300,000 

 acres of State land, has by purchase and gift increased the State 

 forest reserves to 1,640,000 acres. Other States which have inau- 

 gurated the policy of establishing forest reserves are Maryland, 

 Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, and Massa- 

 chusetts. 



SUMMARY. 



Protection of cut-over lands from fire is the most important forest 

 problem in Louisiana. Though the greater part of the State lands 

 is well adapted to agriculture, it will be many years before the area 

 is put to cultivation. In the meantime, the growth of pine should be 

 encouraged on the otherwise unproductive land. Brush disposal 

 after logging and the restriction of grazing would greatly lessen the 

 fire danger. 



Owners of timberland should endeavor to prevent, as far as prac- 

 ticable, all forms of waste in logging, such as injury to young growth, 

 the use of valuable timber where inferior stuff will answer the pur- 

 pose, the leaving of sound logs in the woods, and the cutting of 

 high stumps. The future value of the young trees in the forest will 

 justify those owners who plan to continue their operations for a 

 period of years to protect them during the first logging, in anticipa- 



