10 



and relieve him of some of his timber. I know of a man who was not a 

 native of the county being driven off his own land at the point of a 

 gun by a timber thief. The owner knew he had land, but did not 

 know the exact location until he had his lines run. 



If the lines of the reserves were surveyed, blazed, and posted, it 

 would not only be a benefit to the persons in charge, but also to the 

 public and to the sportsmen. The sportsman or hunter, probably not 

 accustomed to the distance travelled, may find himself crossing a 

 State line, opened, blazed, and posted. He is safe to the extent that 

 he is not trespassing on lands of an individual or lands owned by a 

 hunting club, and is not liable to arrest and fine of ten dollars or ten 

 days in prison for trespassing, and have his game taken away from 

 him ; but he does know that he is on a State Forest Keserve, free for 

 all to hunt or fish, provided he complies with the rules of the Forest 

 Keservation Commission. 



If our reserves were surveyed and the boundary lines cut open, we 

 could have the lands under a better system of patrol. The wardens 

 could cover more of the reserve in one day than they can now in two. 

 As most of the lines are at present they are delayed by tramping 

 through underbrush. Again, the cut lines would serve as wagon 

 roads for getting out timber in the future, or as fire lanes, along 

 which back-fires could be set whenever a fire is headed toward the 

 reserve. We would thus protect the reserve from its most deadly 

 enemy, and save hundreds of dollars for the Commonwealth. 



From a forester's point of view, he cannot make a forest working 

 plan until he knows what he has. Here again a survey is very neces- 

 sary. Not only the outside lines should be run, but township roads, 

 railroads, creeks, bluffs, and other obstacles should be located. Lines 

 between localities having different jurisdiction, as county and town- 

 ship boundaries, interior tracts, lands upon which any rights are 

 reserved, or any individual property, should be accurately located. 

 The forester cannot divide his reserve into compartments which should 

 have natural boundaries, as streams, crests of ridges, swamps, and 

 valleys, because they are permanent, until he has a topographical 

 survey which will show the various undulations and inequalities on 

 the reserve. 



In conclusion, without a survey, the forester is continually handi- 

 capped, because 



1st. The wardens are unable to do their duty for the simple reason 

 that they are not positive as to location of lines and have to depend 

 upon the honesty of neighbors. 



2d. It is not fair to the public, as the State Forest Eeserves are 

 open for recreation purposes to the people of the Commonwealth. 



3d. It is most important for a forester to have a map of his re- 

 serve. He can do scarcely anything without a map from which to 

 make his calculations and working plans. 



