Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-26
WASTE LAND PROJECT
Planting of Forests In North
 Z. eastern Pennsylvania.
LARGE AREA TO BE REFoREsTED

A Valuable Experiment In Growina F Coal Mining Timbers on Fifteen
 Hundred Acres of Denuded Land h
 Wayne County - How the Present x Young Growth VIII Be Favored t- B,s Demand For Wood of All Kinds E9 The question of reforesting waste mountain land in Wayne county, Pa.
 has been investigated by the forest
 service of the United States depart.
 ment of agriculture in connection with
 the preparation of a planting plan for
 lands controlled by Richard Knight of
 Middletown, N. Y.
 The plan recommends the planting of
 commercially valuable trees on 1,500
 acres of denuded land. Whatever young growth is at present occupying the ground will be favored where it
 will not adetract from the value of the future stand. There is second growth forest of 700 acres adjacent to the land to be- planted, and. the recommends tions will include directions for the right management of this forest, as well as measures to protect the whole property from fire.
 The principal trees suitable for plant ing in this locality are chestnut, Euro pean larch, red pine and red oak. Black locust has many desirable quail ities, but it's susceptibility to insect damage makes its use on large scale somewhat hazardous, so that it will be planted only to a limited extent.
 The growth of all these species is fairly rapid, so that they may be ex- pected to make substantial yield in from thirty to forty years. The yield from thinning in the meantime will also be of value. When the plantation is from fifteen to thirty years of age good deal of material can be utilized for such purposes as mine props.
 . The nursery stock needed for the plantation will be grown on the tract. This will reduce the first cost, and the seedlings, when ready for planting, will already be acclimated. To furnish these seedlings. nursery capable of rearing some 100000 plants annually will be established in the coming spring.
 The project is one of great interest to landowners of the region as an exam pie of what may be done with these waste lands. It is reasonably certain that the experiment will increase the value of the property and prove an ex- cellent business investment. N
 The demand for timber of all kinds in northeastern Pennsylvania is far in excess of the local supply. This is es- pecially true of the better classes of material. The coal mining companies require enormous quantities of timber and to obtain the amount needed they are forced to accept woods which are of small value. In many cases, however. the use of strong, dura- ble timber is imperative, and to supply this demand large quantities must be imported, principally from the southern states. ...
 The second growth hardwood forests which in many places have replaced the original stands are an illustration ,f what would have been general had he cut over lands been protected from ire. The absence of protection, how ,ver, has resulted in large areas of brush land, absolutely worthless in heir present condition. This waste and. if forested, is capable of fully supplying the local market, and it is that large areas will be planted to forests fin the near future.