The Elbert County tribune., 1908-12-31
GOOD REPRODUCTION
OF L ONGLEHF PINE.

To Florida goes the distinction of
'ettlng the first national forest ere
ued east of the Mississippi river
president Roosevelt has just signed
proclamation setting aside and nam
ing the Ocala national forest in Marion
county in eastern Florida and another
proclamation creating the Dakota ma
tional forest in Billings county, North
Dakota. 1nasmuch as the last named
national forest is the first in North
two more states to the list of
those wherein land will be put under
scientific forest administration. There
are now 19 states, and Alaska, having
national forests.
Before the creation of the Ocala, in
Florida, the two forests in Arkansas,
the Ozark and the Arkansas, were the
easternmost national forests. Prac-
tically all the other national forests
are in the Rocky mountain and the
Pacific coast states. The Florida for
est has an area of 201, ,4S0 acres, of
which about one-fourth has been taken
up under various land laws. 1t covers
a plateau between the st. Johns and
Ochlawaha rivers and at no point is
an elevation exceeding $50 feet above
sea level obtained The area is by ma
ture better fitted for the production of
forest growth than for any other pur-
pose. Nearly all of the area, however,
seems particularly well adapted to the
growth of sand pine, which is even
now replacing the less valuable
species, and with protection from fire
almost the entire area will in time un-
doubtedly be covered with a dense
stand of this species. The long-leaf
pine, a much more valuable CONNER
cial tree than the sand pine, appears
rather sparsely on this forest and is
confined principally to the lower fiat
lands along the streams on the bor-
ders of the forest
In addition to the pines and scrub
growths, bald cypress, cabbage palmet-
to and tupelo gum, gradually changing
to water oak, ash, elm, magnolia, hick-
ory and maple are found bordering
the numerous ponds and lakes which
are scattered abundantly throughout
Ine cOnnneS OF this forest.
Fire has played a very important
part in bringing about the present
poorly forested condition of the Ocala,
as year after year large fires have
burned uninterruptedly over this tract,
killing all vegetation and consuming
the humus of the soil Naturally pro-
tected portions which have not been
subject to the flames prove positively,
however, that the soil will rapidly re-
spond to little care taking and that
the prevention of fires would eventual
ly mean the reforestation of practical
ly the entire orea.
No sawmill operations have been
conducted on the area included in the
Ocala national forest Turpentining
by boxing is carried on over contigu-
Gus areas and through the careless
and antiquated methods used the fu-
ture pine crop of the adjoining region
is greatly jeopardized. The soil is of
little value for agricultural purposes
and about the only crop which can be
produced that will be of lasting value
is sand pine, and with proper care and
attention there should in time be a
valuable forest of this species.
The new Dakota national forest con-
sists of 14.0S0 acres in the Bad Lands
region. 1t is located in Billings coun-
ty and lies an equal distance between
the Northern Pacific railroad on the
north and the Chicago. Milwaukee G
st. Paul on the south. Its creation is
important for it means that an expert
mental field for forest planting has
been secured in North Dakota, the
least forested state in the Union, hav-
ing only one per cent. of tree growth.
The forest service expects to establish
forest nurseries with the hope that in
time to come the area may be refor-
ested by artificial means. This feature
is expected to prove very good OBJ
ject lesson to the settlers. who. 1t is