the idea of State Forests; but, most of all, we must support and be in 
sympathy with town and city forests because these, more than all 
others, can serve the double purpose of economic and aesthetic use. 
How soon and how rapidly our cities and villages will acquire 
nearby areas of idle or non-arable land, depends entirely upon public 
sentiment. In the East, many cities that own municipal water sup- 
plies are purchasing large areas of watershed which are being handled 
as municipal forests. New York, Boston, Hartford, and scores of 
smaller places in the East are yearly planting millions of small trees 
on municipally owned denuded lands, and, during the past few years, 
many New England villages have acquired, by purchase or gift, out- 
lying but accessible tracts for communal forests. These will be de- 
veloped productively and aesthetically like those of Switzerland and 
other European countries. 
Those who are familiar with the Wienerwald, near Vienna, or the 
Sihlwald near Zurich, know something of an ideal municipal forest. 
Daily thousands of people from the nearby cities, wander over the 
tree-clad hills. Splendid roads and trails lead to points of interest. 
At convenient places are excellent but inexpensive inns and automobile 
stages meet trains from the city. As a place of real recreation these 
forests are far more useful than the ordinary park of limited area, 
scattered trees, artificial ponds, caged wild animals, soda-water foun- 
tains, and policemen to keep the public off the grass. 
The outlying city park is a source of large municipal outlay. 
The city forest can be made a source of large municipal income. 
Where non-tillable land can be found it can be purchased for a few 
dollars an acre. If denuded of forest growth, it can be planted at a 
cost not to exceed S15.00 an acre. But the tract of land should be 
large enough to permit of real forest treatment, In the city park, 
stretches of grass are set off by a variety of trees and shrubs, skillfully 
arranged in groups. In the city forest the trees are en masse. A few 
of the most useful species, economically considered, grow in stands. 
There is an unbroken canopy. The ground is covered with moss, ferns, 
and forest litter. It is broken only by roads, trails, and small clearings 
for such buildings as the needs of the public require. Its successful 
management requires the services of a forester or silviculturist in- 
stead of a landscape gardener. With proper management such a 
city forest requires but little expenditure and as time goes on more than 
pays for its maintenance. The gradual removal of large timber will 
be a source of large income. 
It is my hope and expectation that the idea of municipal forests, 
which is so well established in Europe, will find general approval in 
