34 BULLETIN 1491, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE 
of forest-tree insects and disease should take the form of scientific 
studies of forest insects and tree diseases by qualified experts in public 
employ, together with some assistance in applying such methods of 
control as prove practicable. The private timber owner should also 
be protected by quarantines against the importation of plant material 
carrying insects or diseases likely to spread and damage native 
timber. 
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL TREES FOR FOREST PLANTING 
States which grow small forest trees in State-owned nurseries 
and sell these at cost for forest planting are aiding the private owner 
materially in his efforts to obtain full timber crops. The State can 
usually grow these in large numbers, and so produce and sell them 
cheaply. In the central hardwood region, in 1926. Wisconsin, Michi- 
gan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska. Kansas, and 
Iowa were engaged in this activity in cooperation with the Federal 
Government. 
TIMBERLAND TAXATION 
Timberland taxation is not immediately burdensome in all parts of 
the central hardwood region, but is indirectly so because of uncer- 
tainty as to the consistent application of present laws. To be really 
effective any system of timberland taxation should be on a State- 
wide basis and applied to all timberland. It should not be optional 
with a timberland owner whether or not he wishes his property to 
come under the terms of the law. That very largely would defeat 
the purpose of the law. Further, the plan of taxation must be basi- 
cally sound and yet easily understandable and capable of applica- 
tion by local assessors. Also its immediate effect must not be to 
decrease materially the amounts of local annual revenue raised 
through taxation and it must not shift to other property a greater 
proportion of the tax levy. Xo solution of the problem satisfactory 
to all has yet been worked out. At present extensive forest-taxation 
studies are being undertaken by the Forest Service under the authori- 
zation of the Clarke-McXary law. These may develop some simple, 
workable, and fair methods of timber taxatiton. 
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF TIMBERLANDS 
Public holding of timberland is now commonly accepted as one 
of the best means of producing timber of high grade, which usually 
means timber of old age. Such holdings serve the purpose also of 
experimental and demonstration areas where the best methods of 
handling timber as a crop can be worked out for each region. 
National, State, county, and municipal forests promise to be of in- 
creasing importance. These often are developed from cut-over tim- 
berland that reverts to the State or counties for taxes, but very 
commonly the lands are purchased with public money for the delib- 
erate purpose of setting them aside as public forests. The areas of 
State forests in this region and the total area of forest land are 
about as shown in Table 2. 
