The Indianapolis journal., 1903-02-22
FOREST NEEDS OF INDIANA.
The Situation Outlined by an Expert
on the Subject.

on the subject.
John P. Brown, in Arboriculture for Feb
ruary.
The requirements OF a community, in
forests depend upon the topography and
conditions existing in that province.
No laws or practices can be formed to
suit all portions of country large and
varied as the United States.
If the surface be broken into mountain
ranges, in which rise many important
rivers, 1t is all-important that the forests
shall be retained upon the higher noun
tains and more abrupt slopes.
On extensive plains, where semi-arid con-
ditions exist, large bodies of timber become
invaluable to induce rainfall, divert the
prevailing winds and aid in making such
district of greater value for agriculture.
Large tracts of sandy soil too poor for
successful cultivation in farm crops, and
where grasses do not thrive for pasturage
OF stock, yet where moisture is not lack
ing. should at once be reafforested with
such trees as will improve the soil condi-
tons, in order that agriculture may at
some future time become possible.
Vast areas of low-lying tracts, subject
tained in forest until such time the de-
mand for such alluvial lands will make
them of sufficient value to justify the ex-
penditure of large sums in drainage. And
in all these locations the forests should
be maintained in large, compact bodies.
But where agriculture is the chief pur-
suit, lands owned in comparatively small
tracts and highly cultivated in varied crops
with a dense and increasing popula ton,
timber lands should be in smaller tracts
and distributed throughout the territory.
In every State the conditions vary and
require different system of arboriculture.
Pennsylvania and New York have adopted
t4NI
ditions prevailing in these States. Here
rise some of Americas famous rivers, and
large sums are expended in purchasing
mountain lands, which are being again
planted in timber Massachusetts, has
splendid laws governing the forests of that
commonwealth. 1t would be extremely un-
that are suited to the conditions in New
York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Col
orado or California.
Almost every farm in Indiana has more
or less waste land upon some portion of
the tract, which IL would be the part of
wisdom to retain in timber, and would in
time become the most profitable part of
such farm. But land owners have been
compelled to clear away the forests on all
their broken and waste lands and cultivate
them to a disadvantage, because of the un-
wise system of State taxation. which has
taxed the forests out of existence To
overcome this evil the forestry law of 1899
was enacted by the Legislature.
This law was based upon the theory that
so far as an agricultural State was con-
cerned the forests should be distributed
over every portion of the State in small
parcels; that the small wood lots should
be nearly free from taxation as the
Constitution would permit that every
farm owner should be encouraged to pre-
serve a small portion of his broken and in
ferior lands in timber.
These forest lots are by the Indiana law
taxed upon specific appraisement of 81
per acre.
No country upon the globe has a system
better adapted to existing conditions than
has Indiana. Yet a few county officers
have taken IL upon themselves to become
judges of the law, instead of Its executors,
and have refused to comply with the laws
requirements. The Forestry Board, spe-
cially created to aid in the enforcement of
this law, have totally ignored it, and re-
fused to prosecute those who have thus
ignored the law.
An amendment to this statute, requiring
the county attorneys, under direction of
the attorney general. to compel obedience
to the law by the auditors would make this
act effectual. Hundreds of applications
by farmers throughout the State for reser-
walton of forest lands have been turned
away by the auditors, who have refused
to perform the duties which this law re-
quires of them.
To expend large sum of the States
money in purchasing lands for forest and
the increase in salaries of the Forestry
Board would mean a greatly Increased ap-
preparation by each successive Legislature
to maintain a work which is totally un-
necessary in Indiana, and which is already
| fully provided for by the law of 1899 which
carries with IL no burdensome taxation,
Give the old law a further trial with ad-
ditional precautions for it's enforcement
and avoid placing additional burdens upon
the taxpayers OF the State.