The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-12-07
ACROSS THE OKLAWAHA
Between the Romantic River and the
Historic St. Johns is Situated
the Forest Reserve of
Florida

Washington. d. c., Dec ITO Flor
ida goes the distinction Of getting the
first national forest created east of
the Mississippi river. President Roose-
Welt has just signed a proclama-
tiOn setting aside and naming the
/ Ocala National Forest in Marion cou1-
| ty in eastern Florida and another
proclamation creating the Dakota Ma
tional Forest in Billings county. North
] Dakota. Inasmuch as the last named
national forest is the first in North
| Dakota, the two proclamatiOns add
two more states TO the list of those
wherein land will be put under scien-
| tific forest administration. There are
now nineteen states, and Alaska, hav-
ing 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 Pa
cific Coast states. The Florida forest
has an area of POI. 4S0 acres. of which
about one-forth has been taken up
under various land laws. 1t covers a
! plateau between tie SI. JOllliS anu
Oklawaha rivers and at no point is an
elevation exceeding $50 feet above
sea level obtained. The area is by
nature better fitted for the produc-
ton of forest growth than for any
other purpose. 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. The long, leaf pine
a much more valuable commercial
tree than the sand pine, appears
rather sparcely on this forest and is
confined principally to the lower fiat
lands along the streams On the bord-
ers OF the forest.
In addition to the pines and scrub
growths. bald cypress, cabbage pal
metto and tupelo gum, gradually
changing to water oak, ash, elm, mag
nolia, hickory and maple are found
bordering the numerous ponds and
lakes which are scattered abundantly
throughout the confines of this for
| est.
| 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 con-
Stunning the humus of the soil. Nat
urally protected portions which have
not been subject to flames, prove pos
| itively however, that the soil will
rapidly respond to a little care taking
and that the prevention of fires would
eventually mean the refOrestation of
practically the entire area.
| No sawmill operations have been
included in the Ocala National For
est. Turpentining by boing is car
ried on over contiguous areas and
through the careless and Anticipated
methods used the future pine crop
of the adjoining region in 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 atten-
ton there should in time be val
liable forest of this species.
The new Dakota national forest
consists of 14,0S0 acres in the Bad
Lands region. 1t is located in Bill
lings county and lies an equal dis
lance between the Northern Pacific
railroad on the north and the Chi
cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul on the
south. Its creation is important for
il means that an experimental field
for forest planting has been secured
in North Dakota. the least fOrested
state in the Union. having only one
per cent of tree growth. The forest
service expects 10 establish forest
nurseries with the hope that in time
! to come the area may be refOrested
by artificial means. This feature is
expected to prove very good object
lesson to the settlers. who. it is hop
i ed will in turn plant windbreaks
iaround their farms.
Both of the new national forests,
the Ocala in Florida and the Dakota
will be put under administration by
the forest service as soon as possible.