166 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
THE FIRST AMERICAN MUNIQIPAL FOREST 
SCENE NEAR THE BOUNDARY OP THE FITCHBURG, MASS., MUNICIPAL FOREST. 
Fitchburg, Mass., has established what 
is generally regarded as the first legally 
created Municipal Forest in this country, 
and is developing it along approved for- 
estry lines to make a most interesting en- 
terprise. 
The tracts comprised in this area were 
segregated under the provisions of Section 
23, Chapter 28, Revised Laws, on Decem- 
ber 29. 1914, when the city government 
unanimously adopted an order to that 
effect. 
The town forest in Fitchburg is planned 
to conserve three principal ends : 
1. The demonstration of practical for- 
estry. 
2. Profit from the sale and use of forest 
products and resources. 
3. Public recreation. 
The first of these purposes is furthered 
by an exposition on the ground of the syl- 
van characteristics of the principal native 
species of timber tree and such foreign 
species as possess probable adaptability to 
local conditions. Forestry is primarily the 
handling of timljer trees in stands rather 
than as individual specimens, the latter 
method belonging to the field of arboricul- 
ture. In the Town Forest, economic hand- 
ling of trees with a view to demonstrat- 
ing the practicability of utilizing waste 
land can be carried out to a great extent. 
From the nature of tree growth a com- 
plete exposition requires a long term of 
years. However, a demonstration of for- 
mation methods, protection, improvement, 
management, and in many instances, of the 
securing of a greater or less actual yield 
can be fairly well demonstrated on the 
Municipal Forest. 
The second object, that of profit, is es- 
sential as a justification of the first. It 
is difficult for forest propaganda to se- 
cure extensive credence, if forests under 
the management of the propagandists are 
money losing propositions. The investment 
in land, the costs of formation, protection, 
losses, improvement, administration, etc., 
must be c.ompounded from the date of in- 
currence to the time of actual yield when 
the credit side of the account for any par- 
ticular tract must provide a fair rate of 
interest on these items. Consequently, 
there must appear a patent probability that 
in the long run, the handling of forest lands 
as such will result in an economic success, 
and it has been positively demonstrated 
that scientific and practical forestry can 
accomplish this end. Waste lands consti- 
tute idle capital. Obviously, it is far bet- 
ter to put this capital to work with the 
prospect of reasonable returns than to let 
it lie unused ; especially, when its use in- 
volves industrial activities and secondary 
benefits from which not only the owner 
but the entire community are gainers. 
The third purpose of the Municipal For- 
est is that of public recreation. In all 
thickly settled countries, it is noted that a 
very large part of the population prefer to 
resort to woodlands rather than to the 
more formal parks. The latter are likely to 
be congested at times, and their ornamen- 
tal aspect imposes a species of restraint 
upon visitors which is largely absent in a 
public forest. The recreational use of a 
forest may modify to some extent its 
management as an economic undertaking. 
In such a case, however, uses of this kind 
are to be reckoned on the credit side of 
the account where they properly may off- 
set the waiving of certain economic fea- 
tures. 
The total area of the Alunicipal Forest 
of Fitchburg comprises 109 acres. This 
area is in four separate tracts which are 
detailed as follows : 
The Upper Raymond tract comprises an 
area of approximately 10 acres located on 
the north boundary of the town. The area 
is at present well wooded but with species 
which are not particularly desirable. There 
are a number of white pine seed trees 
scattered about the tract, however, and a 
small amount of white pine reproduction 
is taking place. This tract has been posted 
with notices at each corner and, since it is 
bordered on two sides by an old slash- 
ing, a fire break has been constructed 
around' the area. 
The Lower Raymond tract is approxi- 
mately 21 acres. About 14 acres are well 
timbered, principally with white pine. The 
balance is of the old pasture type largely 
