LIBRARY ANNEX I :: |.:; ■■ : .:\ ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New York State Colleges of Agriculture and Home Economics at Cornell University STATE OF NEW YORK CONSERVATION COMMISSION Reforestation Conference Albany, November 10, 1922 ALBANY J. B. LYON COMPANY, PRINTERS 1922 STATE OF NEW YORK CONSERVATION COMMISSION Reforestation Conference HELD AT ALBANY, NOVEMBER 10, 1922 ALBANY J. B. LYON COMPANY, PRINTERS 19 22 STATE OF NEW YORK CONSERVATION COMMISSION Alexander Macdonald Commissioner C. Teacey Stagg Deputy Commissioner Herbert F. Prescott Secretary Division of Lands and Forests C. R. Pettis Superintendent, State Forests W. G-. Howard Assistant Superintendent, State Forests List of Illustrations PAGE 1. Eed pine plantation twelve years old. Mountain Pond. . 6 2. Scotch pine plantation in the Adirondacks 9 3. Plantation on embankment of Glens Falls reservoir 11 4. Mature unthinned plantation at Rehoboth 36 5. Plantation at the Carthage reservoir started in 1913 14 6. Size of trees, Carthage reservoir 16 7. Mixed plantation white pine and Norway spruce, 24 years old 19 8. White pine plantation, 24 years old, Millbrook, Dutchess County 21 9. Mature thinned plantation at South Lancaster, Massa- chusetts 38 10. Plantation at BoOnville reservoir 24 11. Reforesting Gloversville watershed. New plantations are added each year 27 12. White pine trees on watershed at Salamanca, planted 8 years ago 31 13. Plantation on Rochester watershed, 6 years old in 1922 ... 34 14. Interior Norway spruce plantation, 24 years old 40 15. Scotch pine plantation 30 years old 42 [3] ;■> Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003068982 REFORESTATION CONFERENCE In order that the reforestation of idle land in New York State, that is better suited to growing trees than to any other purpose, might be undertaken on a broader scale, a conference was held in the offices of the Conservation Commission on November 10, 1922, to consider plans for the coordination of the efforts of the various agencies interested in the subject of reforestation and to educate the owners of such land and the public generally in the profit to be derived from the raising of forest crops. The subject of the conference was outlined in the following letter sent to representative men who have been actively interested in various phases of foresting work : "As a result of the activities of various agencies, working more or less independently, there is today wide-spread inter- est in the subject of reforestation in this state. ' ' With a view to coordinating the efforts of all the agencies in the prosecution of an intelligent and effective policy of reforestation, I am planning to invite a number of represen- tative men to an informal conference to be held in my office, and have fixed the date for November 10, for a discussion of the subject in its various aspects. I have outlined a little pro- gram that I believe would be very helpful in getting the reforesting movement under way on a more effective scale than we have so far been able to attain. " Our productive machinery is now in such shape that it can be quickly and economically expanded to meet any in- creased demand for trees, and every year sees a higher degree of efficiency attained in our fire protective work, the fire hazard today being only one-tenth as great as it was twenty years ago. Under the circumstances tree planting on a broader scale than has heretofore been attempted appears to be the thing to do, and the coordination of all the agencies now work- ing to that end the way to do it. ' ' ' ' Very truly yours, ' ' Alexander Macdonald, " Commissioner." This meeting was attended by Clifford R. Pettis, Superintend- ent of State Forests ; Franklin Moon, Dean of the New York State College of Forestry ; William G. Howard, Assistant Superintendent of State Forests; M. C. Burritt, Vice-director of the College of Agriculture, Cornell University ; Ralph S. Hosmer, Professor of Forestry, Cornell University ; J. R. Simmons, Secretary of the New York State Forestry Association; James F. Dubuar, Director, of the State Rangers School, and A. D. Davies, Farm Bureau Agent. To | 6 New York State Conservation Commission The conference was opened by Commissioner Macdonald who briefly reviewed the growth of the forestry movement in the state and outlined a policy of reforestation. Papers were presented on tree growing and planting, forest fire prevention, the making of a forester, farm forests, extension work in forestry, community forests, tree planting by forest industries and other phases of the work and the necessary preliminary work of a reforesting cam- paign discussed. Red Pine, State-Planted, 12 Years Old, Mountain Pond, Not Fab Fhom .f aul Smith's, Franklin County, N. Y. It was the consensus of the conference that this is the time for an intensive state-wide campaign for the replacement of our forests and the effective utilization of the non-agricultural land of the state for growing forest crops. Also that an important feature of the campaign should be the furnishing of evidence that planted forests are profitable both as long-time crops and as short-time Reforestation Conference 7 crops as shown by many plantations in this state and New England where complete figures on costs and returns are available. The following resolution was adopted : " Whereas, the reforestation of the idle and nonagricul- tural land in this state is a matter of vital importance to the health and welfare of the people of the state, and " Whereas, the coordination of all the agencies now work- ing for the advancement of an effective forest policy of which reforestation is an essential part is necessary, and " Whereas, the work of the conference to be thoroughly effective should be continuous, now therefore, it is " Resolved, that the Conservation Commissioner, as chair- man of the conference, is hereby requested to appoint one or more committees to cooperate with the Conservation Commis- sioner in bringing to the attention of farmers, industrial con- cerns and others the necessity for the reforestation of non- agricultural land and the advantages that will accrue from the planting of forests, and that such committee or committees be supplied with the necessary information relative to the pro- curing and planting of trees by the Conservation Commis- sioner and it is further " Resolved, that when this conference adjourns it shall be to a date to be fixed by the Conservation Commissioner." The Conservation Commissioner appointed the following com- mittees : General Committee: Chairman, Clifford R. Pettis, Superintend- ent of State Forests; Franklin Moon, Dean of the College of For- estry, Syracuse; M. C. Burritt, Vice-director of the College of Agriculture, Cornell University ; George D. Pratt, New York City, former Conservation Commissioner, and President of the Adiron- dack Mountain Club; J. R. Simmons, Albany, Secretary of the State Forestry Association ; W. S. French, New Hartford, President of the New York State Fish, Game and Forest League; James C. Brennan, Buffalo, President of the Conservation Association; Fer- ris Meigs, Tupper Lake, President Empire State Forest Products Association; John A. Flanagan, Malone, President Northern New York Development Association; Herbert F. Prescott, Albany, Sec- retary Conservation Commission. Committee on Community Forests: Chairman, J. R. Simmons; Charles Cool, Glens Falls; R. M. Cox, Middletown; Alexander Orr, Gloversville ; George Wendt, Rochester. Committee on Farm Forests : Chairman, M. C. Burritt ; Albert Manning, Master of the State Grange; A. D. Davies, Herkimer. Industrial Committee: Chairman, Ferris Meigs ; F. A. Em- merick, Fulton; J. N. Carlisle, Watertown; A. B. Recknagel, Cor- nell University. 8 New York State Conservation Commission Educational Committee: Chairman, Franklin Moon; Ralph S. Hosmer, Cornell University ; Herbert F. Prescott ; W. G. Howard, Albany; J. R. Simmons. Forestry Development Committee: Chairman, John A. Flana- gan; James F. Dubuar, State Ranger School; B. S. Cullings, Secre- tary Black River Regulating District Board. Committee on Forest Taxation: Chairman, Hon. F. M. Daven- port, Clinton; A. S. Houghton, New York City; H. B. O'Neil, St. Regis Falls. Conservation Organizations Committee: Chairman, George D. Pratt; W. S. French; John B. Burnham, President American Game Protection and Propagation Association ; James C. Brennan ; John J. Farrell, Troy, Assistant Secretary of the Conservation Commission. POLICY OF REFORESTATION By Hon. Alexander Macdonald, Conservation Commissioner " The marked increase in the reforesting movement this year, for which all of us here are more or less responsible, is one reason for my asking you to this meeting, as a result of which I hope to see the efforts of all the agencies now working for the production of new forests coordinated, and tree planting speeded up and directed along practical lines that will provide for the replacement of our rapidly disappearing forests. ' ' I know of no other state that is doing as much in the way of planting new forests as we are, but we are not doing enough. We will do much more when the owners of idle land learn the profits that can be derived from growing trees. As the result of a long campaign of education, the people of the state are coming to have a better understanding of the need of reforesting our idle land. A number of municipalities have made good-sized plantations, usually for watersheds, several large plantations have been started by industrial concerns and, within the last year or two, school dis- tricts, sportmen's clubs and individuals have joined in the work of reforestation. For a number of years the increase in interest has been steady. This year has been better than last and last year was better than any preceding year in the number of applications for trees to be planted on privately owned land. ' ' This year after filling our applications for trees none were left in the nurseries for planting on State land. " We have had to increase our nursery capacity to keep pace with our applications. " Scattered about the state on both public and private land there are thousands of plantations that are a valuable aid in teach- ing the people the possibilities of reforestation and adding new recruits every year to the reforesting movement, but, adequately to meet our needs in the matter of forests, we have got to speed up our tree planting until it is many times larger than anything that we have yet attained. Reforestation Conference 9 " Reforesting for many years has been one of the important projects of the state. " In 1908 a law was passed providing for the sale, at cost, of trees to private land owners, and in that year seven sales amounting to 25,000 were made. In the following year sales, aggregating 1,005,325 trees, were made. In 1921 the sales of trees to private owners totalled 3,020,770. This year the sales reached a total of 4,300,000 trees. " The State Forest Nursery at Saratoga is probably the largest forest tree nursery in the world, but even with all this develop- ment, we are not able to meet the situation, and last spring a nursery similar to the one at Saratoga was started at Lowville. Scotch Pine Plantation (Adirondaoks). ' ' New York statistics show that for the twenty-one years, 1901- 1921 inclusive, there were planted on State land in the Forest Preserve 25,760,000 trees ; on lands of State institutions 6,002,000 trees, and on private land 31,944,000 trees, a total of 63,707,000 trees, and this means roughly 63,000 acres. " The best statistics available indicate that there are about 12,000,000 acres of true forest land in the state, of which about one- third or 4,000,000 acres, has upon it merchantable timber, and an- other 4,000,000 acres has brush and inferior tree growth, and the remaining 4,000,000 acres lies idle and unproductive and its best economic use is through the growing of forests. 10 New York State Conservation Commission " The report of the Census Bureau for the year 1920 shows that there are 3,313,455 acres of unimproved land in farms, which is an increase of 600,000 acres over 1910, and that there are 4,160,000 acres of woodlands in farms, which is a decrease of about 275,000 acres of woodlands in farms since the census of 1910. " I think most of you are familiar with the so-called Capper report on timber depletion in the United States, and if carefully considered, what these statistics mean to our prosperity, health and general interests. Briefly summarizing the situation in regard to New York State, the report shows that we use 1,280,000,000 feet of lumber in this state each year; that there is cut from our forests of the state 350,000,000 feet each year. In other words, we are cutting about 25% of our consumption. The best estimate that has been made shows that our annual growth is about 70,000,000 feet. We grow only about one-fifth of what we cut, or stating it in another way, we are cutting our forests five times as fast as we are growing them, and we are consuming in this state about twenty times as much as we grow. Seventy-five percent of our lumber is imported, while on the other hand about fifteen percent of the land of the State of New York lies idle and is an economic waste. This land can be put under forest production and made to pro- duce a vast amount of the lumber which we need. The figures which I have given you apply only to lumber. Other statistics equally impressive could be furnished in regard to roundwood, which is so important in our industries. ' ' The ratio which I have given you will, in a few years, change for the worse. Our consumption will increase, and if we are now cutting timber five times as fast as it grows, we are overcutting, and our production is going to decrease and the ratio of timber grown is also going to decrease. " For the spring planting season this year, the applications for trees exceeded by more than half a million trees the record for 1921 for both spring and fall plantings. The total sales for the spring season were 3,687,360 trees, which was 666,590 more than the total for both the spring and fall seasons a year ago ; 1,216,885 more than for both seasons of 1920, and 1,422,305 more than for both seasons for 1919. Following the great increase in the spring planting the applications for trees this fall were nearly double those of a year ago. " In spite of the greatly increased demand for trees, we have been able to increase our supply of nursery stock. The inventory of stock in all nurseries at the close of the spring planting season was 26,025,000 trees, an increase of 2,715,000 over a year ago, and 9,105,000 over two years ago. "As a result of the extension and improvement of our forest fire protective system, forests are a safer investment in New York State than ever before. Practically ninety percent of the entire forested area of the state is protected, and the fire hazard is steadily being reduced. Reforestation Conference 11 " I believe the time is ripe for all who are interested in the reforesting movement to join in driving home into the minds of the people of the state these facts : That, if we are to have lumber and wood, we have got to plant trees and keep on planting them. That, lumber is a crop, and if we are to have it, we must con- duct our forestry operations on a scale that will guarantee a crop sufficient to meet our needs. " That, if the idle land in this state, which is doing nothing except to eat itself up in taxes, were scientifically forested, it would grow the lumber necessary to meet our needs and produce a crop that is becoming more valuable each year." Plantation at the Glens Palls Reservoir. TREE GROWING AND PLANTING By C. R. Pettis, Superintendent State Forests ' ' I believe that we will all agree with Commissioner Macdonald, in regard to the policy which he has here today outlined as a reforesting program in this state. I believe that we have all agreed with him as to the necessity that greater efforts should be put forth that there may be a great increase in the reforesting of forest land. " Only in very recent years has there been any appreciable amount of forest planting. I can remember assisting in making the first forest plantation in the Adirondacks and also assisting in 12 New Yoek State Conservation Commission making the first forest nursery in the state at Axton, both in 1899. This to my mind is the real beginning of reforesting in this state. This is less than 25 years ago. " In 1901 the Forest, Fish and Game Commission established a small hardwood nursery at Brown's Station in Ulster County. " The immediate result of the planting at Axton and in the Catskills was that the state authorities became very much interested in reforestation. " The state, in 1902, planted about 600,000 trees on forest pre- serve land in the vicinity of Lake Clear Junction. These planta- tions have been very successful and have resulted in demonstrating what can be done. " The Forest, Fish and Game Commission wanted to carry on this work of reforesting, but it was unable to do so, because trees could not be purchased either in quantity or at reasonable prices. " This necessitated the establishment of forest nurseries and in the spring of 1903, I was sent to Saranac Inn to make the first state forest nursery to produce evergreen trees. I confess that I didn't then know all about establishing and operating a nursery, but after some experimenting we developed there a nursery prac- tice which has been successful. It took us a few years to get started and of course it took us three years to produce three year old trees and our first planting stock was developed and sent to the field from the nursery in 1905. These nurseries were a novelty and were in the section of the country where people were interested in forests and they attracted a great deal of attention. " The legislative committee, on its trip in 1907, visited the nurseries and plantations at Saranac Inn and Lake Clear Junction. The late Edwin A. Merritt, who was then Majority Leader of the Assembly, himself a large owner of Adirondack land, was a mem- ber of the party and became deeply interested in reforesting. During the following winter he came to the office and said that he wanted to get some trees for his use in planting his land. The law then provided that the trees which we were growing in the nurseries must be used for reforesting state land. In order to accommodate Mr. Merritt and try to help him in getting trees and assist him in his reforesting project, we obtained quotations from various nur- series, upon the planting material which he needed. Selling Trees at Cost.— "It was difficult to find any nurseries that were producing trees in the quantities desired, and it was impossible to obtain any at a price which would warrant a forest planting investment. The cost of the trees was nearly twice what it was costing the state to both grow trees and make the final plant- ing. Mr. Merritt expressed the opinion that the state should inter- est itself in the reforesting of both state and private lands: that he didn't expect any gratuity from the state because he wanted to plant, but that he thought it was the proper function of the state to encourage reforesting of private lands and under present conditions this could only be done by obtaining trees at a cost Reforestation Conference 13 which would warrant the investment. Mr. Merritt proceeded to obtain legislation which permitted the commission to sell trees at the cost of production to private owners for planting land in the state. " This law was passed in the spring of 1908. The result was that during that year there were seven sales to private owners, including Mr. Merritt, aggregating 25,000 trees. In 1909 there were 179 sales, aggregating 1,005,325 trees and besides there were additional orders which we were unable to fill on account of lack of supply. In 1908 an additional nursery was established at Sala- manca and in 1910 another nursery at Lake Clear Junction, and in 1911 a small nursery at Saratoga, and in 1912 one at Comstock, all for the purpose of attempting to meet the demand of private owners for trees and to have trees available for planting on state lands. ' ' Reforestation rapidly increased and in 1915 the output of the nurseries was approximately 8,000,000 trees, a little less than half of which were sold to private land owners. The output of the nur- series remained at approximately 8,000,000 per year until 1919, when we commenced to feel the effects of failure to obtain seeds from Europe during the war and also the reduction due to the suspension of sowing white pine seeds, awaiting determination as to what policy was to be pursued in regard to the blister rust. " Nurseries were established at Comstock, where convict labor was used, at Central Islip where the work was done by the inmates of the State Hospital, but in each case the output has been small and it has been found that greater economy can be made by the development of very large nurseries in a few places rather than several small ones. " We have, therefore, established at Saratoga what is probably the largest forest nursery in the world. ' ' Last spring on account of the very large demand for trees in the Black River Valley, we acquired 80 acres of land for an addi- tional nursery and commenced to develop this along the same lines as at Saratoga. This nursery now contains 2,280,000 trees. I would like to add that the increased interest in reforestation and the sale of trees to the Black River Valley has been greatly due to the efforts of the Farm Bureau Agents, particularly Mr. Davies, who is here today, in that section, and that we are glad to cooperate and work with these agents anywhere in the state in any way we can in helping them with their problems^ of handling forest lands. ' ' The Saranac Nurseries are a group of several small ones within a short distance of each other and contain about 40 acres, in which there are now 2,296,000 trees. This nursery will be developed to about half the size of the Saratoga Nursery, and we hope that with Lowville and Saratoga we will be able to supply all the demands. We, therefore, have a total developed nursery area of 205 acres, not 'all of which is yet in use, but 1/3 of which must at all times be 14 New Yobk State Conservation Commission kept under cover crop in order to retain our soil fertility. Last year we made application to the Public Service Commission to obtain a reduction in the price of freight on nursery stock and from May 15 the charges have been substantially half of what they were before. These nurseries today contain 19,780,000.trees and of these 12,000,000 are two years and upwards of age and are avail- able for spring planting. " There has been a great deal of agitation about free trees and three years ago the legislature passed a law providing that this commission could furnish free of cost at the nursery trees for Plantation at the Carthage Reservoir, Started in 1913. planting forest land, provided the owner entered into an agree- ment with the commission, providing for continuous forest pro- duction upon the land and giving the state the control of cutting thereon. Although there has been agitation for many years and there is this restriction in the law, only three people have availed themselves of this offer. " The commission has supplied free of charge at the nursery over 6,000,000 trees, which have been used for planting on lands of state institutions, notably the Palisades Interstate Park, the wild lands belonging to Dannemora Prison, and large open fields about the State Sanatorium for Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis at Eaybrook and other sanatoria. Reforestation Conference 15 Trees for Municipal Plantations. — "During the last few years, hundred of thousands of trees have been furnished free at the nurseries to municipalities for planting upon land owned by them. These areas are usually lands which have been acquired in connection with their water supply system. This year 1,078,000 trees were furnished municipalities for this purpose. " For several years a small number of tree have been supplied free to Farm Bureau Agents, to be used in their discretion for demonstration planting in their counties. This year 16,000 trees were furnished them for this purpose. In accordance with law trees are sold to private owners at a price not exceeding the cost of production, due to the fact that the longer the trees remain at the nursery the greater the expense of production and the larger the tree becomes the greater the cost of packing. Prices of these trees vary with their age. The two year old trees which are sufficiently large for planting upon fields of fairly good soil, where there is not heavy shade sell for $2.00 per thousand. This is at the rate of five trees for a cent. The three year old trees, which are large enough to use under most any circumstances sell for $4.00 per thousand. We have a few four year old trees which sell at $5.00 per thousand, but there is little advantage in the use of trees of this size. Our prices of trees are based upon pre-war conditions and there has been no increase of cost of trees made on account of the increased expense of production. " There has been planted upon the state forest preserve 31,- 763,000 trees. There has been sold to private owners 34,992,000 trees. Altogether for all purposes there has been shipped out of the state nurseries for reforesting purposes 73,914,000 trees. This means that substantially 74,000 acres have been reforested in this state within the past 21 years through our efforts. ' ' We now have a larger number of trees than ever before avail- able, nearly 12,000,000 available for spring planting, compared with 7,000,000 the largest number ever shipped before and we are, therefore, in position to supply trees in greater quantities than ever. We know that the demand is going to increase. The demand for trees was so great during last spring that they were all sold to private owners and none were left available for planting on state land. " We have a publication, Bulletin 2, which gives general infor- mation in regard to reforesting. We are glad to answer inquiries and give further advice where necessary. There is an enormous field open to reforesting activities. We all need timber, we should all help produce it. This can be done by the state planting its land; by a larger amount of planting through private owners on their property; by the establishment and development of com- munity forests, by counties and towns, villages, school districts; by the acquisition of land by clubs and associations. There are large areas of land in almost all sections of the state which can be 16 New York State Conservation Commission acquired at a moderate price for these purposes. The thing to do is to get more people actively engaged in planting and get this land under forest production as soon as possible." FOREST FIRE PREVENTION By W. G. Howard, Assistant Superintendent State Forests ' ' A reasonable degree of protection from forest fires is an essen- tial if we are to keep the forest lands of this State productive. Such protection may be spoken of as the minimum silvicultural ^HM* s* $*■/■■ ■ ifik' ,ajH WmM^§^m^^t'A ' f i vm K ' . '■■ ■ - WBsM Plantation at the Carthage Reservoir. requirement to attain this object. Silvicultural conditions are such in practically all types of forest found in this State that given protection against fires, adequate reproduction will follow cutting. '■' It goes without saying that the prevention of fires is a pre- requisite of any successful programme of reforestation, either natural or artificial. It is particularly important that the person who contemplates the planting of trees be given reasonable assur- ance that his plantation will not be wiped out by fires and his investment become a total loss. It is obvious that an absolute guarantee against forest fires cannot be given, but if forest pro- Reforestation Conference 17 tection is so Organized that the likelihood of a given tract of land being burned over is very small, in fact, so small as to be almost negligible, that is an inducement for investment in reforesting. Past Accomplishment. — "For over 35 years the State of New York has maintained at least some kind of a fire protection system. Until recent years, this protection work has been confined to the so-called fire towns, comprising about seven and one-quarter mil- lion acres of land in the Adirondack and Catskill regions of the State. It may be said, however, that efficiently organized pro- tection dates back only about 12 or 13 years, for the first provision for a paid protective force was made in 1909. Statistics are avail- able to show a steady increase in efficiency in protection work since 1909. "A summary of forest fire statistics recently prepared by A. S. Hopkins, groups statistics by five year periods, in order to secure a fairer and less variable result than could be obtained by using the figures for individual years. " Beginning with the period 1903 to 1906 and coming down to the. period from 1917 to 1921 we find a decrease in the average acres burned by each fire in the Adirondack and Catskill regions from 478 acres in the first period to 31 acres in the final period. " It is significant that since 1907 there has been no appreciable increase in the number of fires which have occurred, and this in spite of the fact that the number of persons going into the woods has increased many fold. The figure, however, which is of most per- tinent interest to the owner of forest land and the person contem- plating holding lands for the practice of forestry, is that indicating the per cent of the total area under protection which is burned over each year. During the period from 1903 to 1906, 1.6% of the total area under protection was burned over annually, while in the period from 1917 to 1921 only .17 of 1 % was burned each year. This latter figure means that under the present standard of effi- ciency of the protection system, there are two chances out of a thousand of a given area of land burning over. This certainly can- not be considered an unreasonable risk. " Lest the argument be advanced that occasional so-called bad fire years may upset these figures, it may be said that in the tabula- tion referred to above, one so-called bad fire year was included in each of the five year periods, so that the unusual risk presented by a severe drought is considered in the figures given. " It is noteworthy that the increase in efficiency shown above has taken place, in spite of the fact that fire hazards have been increased owing to various factors. Extensive lumbering opera- tions, many of them consisting of much heavier cutting than was the practice in years past, have created slash which makes it more difficult to control forest fires. Moreover, the number of persons going into the woods for camping, fishing, hunting and pleasure of all kinds, has increased so tremendously that it is almost impossible to estimate it at all accurately. The carelessness of pleasure seekers 18 New York State Conservation Commission in the woods is proverbial, and the most carefully thought out pro- tective measures are necessary to safeguard the woods against the additional fire hazard caused by these people. " The work of educating the public with regard to the danger of forest fires has been one of the chief concerns of the Conservation Commission in its general educational programme. That this work has been effective is evidenced by the fact that the number of fires occurring each year has remained practically the same over a period of 15 years. " Reference has been made so far to statistics collected in the fire towns of the Adirondack and Catskill regions. Beginning in 1918, the Conservation Commission extended its fire protection system to the Long Island district and in 1921 to include practically all other areas of the State containing large bodies of contiguous tracts of forest land. " The law places the responsibility for fire prevention outside the fire towns upon the town supervisor, and the Commission in its work in these outside districts is limited to organizing the protective force provided by the towns, and assisting in the detection and reporting of forest fires. This work has not been in progress long enough to permit the publication of accurate statistics, but the system employed is similar to that employed in other states, where the problem of forest protection is considered by competent authori- ties to be well in hand. ' ' In the extension of fire protection work in the Adirondack and Catskill regions, the Commission has added six and one-third mil- lion acres to the protected area, of which nearly 50% is forest land. That is, the area under protection has been nearly doubled. Future Work. — "It should not be assumed from the figures presented above that our fire prevention system has reached its highest development. There are many opportunities for increasing its efficiency, and it is the Commission 's plan and intention to avail itself of every opportunity of this kind. For instance, during the past two years, great progress has been made in the development of gasoline forest fire fighting outfits. The Commission has purchased ten of these outfits, and feels that without them it would have been utterly unable to cope with the exceptional and severe fire season that continued throughout the fire season of 1921 and during the spring of 1922. Plans for the future contemplate not only the purchase of new and improved equipment, but also the adoption of every measure possible to improve the efficiency of the protection force. " The extension and improvement of the protection system out- side the fire towns will be the especial aim of the Commission. There is opportunity for a big improvement in this work. The town officers as yet fail to realize the attention which the fire pro- tection problem requires. The Commission is doing its utmost to bring them to a realization of this, but this educational work is necessarily slow and will take some years to become effective. It Reforestation Conference 19 is probable also that additional legislation will be required to give the Commission the authority it should have to organize this work effectively. " Mention should be made in this connection of the substantial assistance rendered by the Federal government, under the provis- ions of the so-called Weeks Law, which makes $400,000 available in Mixed Plantation, White Pine and Norway Spruce, 24 Years Ot.d, Millbrook, N. Y. various states to inaugurate forest fire protection. New York secures as its share, about $24,000 annually. " The ideal is a State operated fire protection system wherever the extent of forest lands warrants it. In sections of the State having only scattered wood lots, such a system is not necessary, but where there are large contiguous areas of forest lands no other method is practicable. The Conservation Commission should appoint the fire wardens and pay the bills in the first instance. They should afterwards be reimbursed by the towns for the actual fire fighting expenditures. 20 New York State Conservation Commission Relation of Fire Protection to Reforesting.— " In concluding let it be said that the present efficiency of forest protection in this State warrants the investment of money in reforesting- for direct financial return as well as for the purpose of keeping forest lands productive for other purposes. A risk of less than 2 to 1000 is almost negligible. Moreover, the efficiency of the protection work is increasing all the time. " The risk of fire on small plantations handy to the residence of the owner or his representative is slight, if reasonable care is observed. Larger plantations, possibly in less accessible places, warrant the expenditures necessary to take special protection measures, such as the clearing of fire lines, special patrol during periods of dry weather, etc. " The importance of protection in any programme of reforesta- tion cannot be exaggerated, for fire prevention is the prime essen- tial for the practice of any kind of forestry. ' ' MAKING OF A FORESTER By Franklin Moon, Dean New York State College of Forestry, Syracuse University "Commissioner Macdonald and Gentlemen: " When this topic was assigned to me I found it rather difficult to connect it with the purpose of this conference, namely, reforesta- tion. However, to a profession in its primary stage the importance of good men is frequently paramount to method. " It is self-evident that if the forestry movement is to succeed, the men in control must be thoroughly trained and also possess a consciousness of the obligation they owe the state and nation, as well as realization of the influence which forestry, as a phase of national thrift, will have upon America fifty to a hundred years hence. ' ' I believe that every one who has had any experience in educa- tion will agree that character is fundamental. Unless your profes- sional forester is possessed of the old Spartan virtues — conscien- tiousness, punctuality, truthfulness, etc., the most thorough educa- tion will not make a valuable professional man out of him. Such qualities are inherent in a man, yet the professional schools or colleges should attempt to mould character and to hold always be- fore the growing mind the desirability, indeed the necessity, of such virtues. Special Qualifications Needed. — "Forestry is a profession, not a trade, and its foundation must be broad. In most schools and colleges time is insufficient for many desirable cultural subjects, yet wherever possible these should be incorporated into the cur- riculum in order that the forest administrators twenty years hence may have the proper balance to formulate wise policies. "Another qualification needed to make a well trained forester would be a maximum of practical training. During his apprentice- Keforestation Conference 21 ship at least the forester will be compelled to direct men in field methods. Unless he knows his job thoroughly — the best prepara- tion would be to have done it with his own hands many times — he will not make a good boss. Consequently, a maximum of training in seedbed preparation, transplanting, reforestation methods, in addition to timber cruising, engineering, etc., should be made pre- requisite to every forestry degree. So much for the brief prelim- inary to some observations I wish to make on the question of reforestation in New York State. White Pine Plantation, 24 Yeabs Old, Millbbook, N. Y. ' ' Forestry, while an art, is also a business. "We must not only grow trees but we must see that they are utilized efficiently and economically. If we cannot utilize trees at a profit, why grow them? The cycle of production, manufacture and distribution must be complete and each step carried on at a profit. I think that this situation does not obtain in agriculture today. The production of the farm crop is well understood. Concerning the marketing of field crops, however, much study is needed in order that the land- owner shall derive at least a fair wage for his labor. We at Syra- cuse from the very establishment of the College of Forestry have considered utilization as one of the corner stones of forestry. ' ' Now to get back to the assigned topic. How can such a forester as I have described assist in promoting a wider acceptance of refor- estation of idle land ? First, it seems to me the public must be sold 22 New York State Conservation Commission with the idea of its practical value. The forester should be an evangelist — preaching forestry on all occasions. All methods of publicity — popular education by means of the press are needed, so that the general public — citizens of today — as well as all high school boys and girls who are the citizens of tomorrow, will realize some of the facts that you, Commissioner, have brought out, namely, that we are cutting our timber five times as fast as it grows; that in New York State we are paying a freight bill of $36,000,000 per annum for wood lumber shipped into New York, a large part of which could be saved if we could make the twelve million acres of true forest soil yield the raw stock which they are capable of producing. Wood Using Industries Declining. — "In 1913 the College of Forestry, cooperating with the U. S. Forest Service, made a field study of the wood-using industries of New York State. We learned at that time that there were 3300 small manufacturing plants, fur- niture factories, excelsior and agricultural implement plants, etc. (I do not refer to lumber or paper mills, but concerns which take lumber either in the round or as plank, etc. and convert it into other materials.) " In 1919, when we went over the ground again, we found that these 3300 plants had shrunk to 2200, 1100 industries having gone out of business in six years. "Another very interesting fact was that out of approximately $78,000,000 spent on raw stock by these 2200 mills, $67,000,000 worth was purchased outside of New York State. While it is true we cannot grow certain species like Yellow pine or Douglas fir, still the fact remains that at least a large part of this material could be grown on forest lands of New York State to the mutual benefit of land-owner and manufacturer. "Another phase of the general forestry and reforestation move- ment is the convincing of ' big business ' that forestry and refor- estation are financially profitable. We all know that until the men of wealth and influence are convinced that forestry means not only salvation for the country, but money in their pockets, relatively little will be accomplished, since four-fifths of the country's tim- ber is privately owned. In many instances the men who operate paper and pulp plants, saw mills, etc., believe that the forester is a man merely crying ' Wolf, wolf ! ' and that ample supplies of raw stock, for their plants are still available. " The rapid rise in the cost of pulp stock, standing timber, etc., during the past few years has been an eye-opener to many a mill operator. Economic conditions are today assisting the forester in educating this type of citizen. "A short time ago statistics were gathered which indicated that over half the paper mills of New York State owned no stumpage whatever; that three-quarters of them were at least partially de- pendent upon others for their raw stock. Another startling figure brought out the fact that of all those mills which owned standing Reforestation Conference 23 timber only four per cent had a supply large enough to last beyond twelve years. In other words this important industry will soon be face to face with a shortage of domestic raw stock and it is no secret to those who have followed the situation north of the line that an embargo on Canadian pulp stock is not beyond the realms of possi- bility. Vastly Increased Production Needed. — "All these facts point in one direction, namely, the need for vastly increased production of forest crops on non-agricultural land, whether public or privately owned. Many paper companies are already establishing nurseries. In most instances, however, the area they plant is but a small frac- tion of the area cut over. ' ' In my opinion the state should lead the way. I appreciate that the demand for growing stock by private individuals has been so great that few if any trees have been left over within the past few years to plant on state land. This situation should be remedied. The state nurseries should be enlarged and additional funds appro- priated for reforestation so that the state can replant the 90,000 acres it owns, in need of planting, within a relatively short time. Private land owners will then be encouraged by the example of the state to follow suit, because the state has made a demonstration of its own faith in the desirability, indeed the necessity, of clothing the idle lands with forests. Such a group as this, representing the agen- cies in New York State interested in all the phases of the land prob- lem can do much and should pledge their interest and effort in mak- ing such a splendid reforestation project an accomplished fact, in order that the forest areas of New York State may again be made productive and forest industries and forest communities kept alive. The New York State College of Forestry pledges its cooperation in a program of this nature. ' ' THE RELATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SYSTEM TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF FARM FORESTS By M. C. Btjrritt, Vice-Director of Extension of the State College of Agriculture, at Cornell University ' ' I assume that this topic was given me today because the exten- sion system does touch the farmer who owns these farm forests very intimately. I understand this so-called farm forest and waste land and other farm land, which is probably best adapted for forestry, constitutes nearly twenty-five per cent of the entire area of the state. " The farmer really does have a good deal of interest in the matter of reforestation. Of course, it has been a very difficult thing to get this work started with the farmers, because of the fact that they are necessarily compelled to make the farm pay as they go. The farmer at the present time is in the most difficult economic condition he has been in a generation. His dollar is on an average worth about 64 cents, so that a project which compels expenditure 24 New York State Conservation Commission of that dollar must necessarily be for the things that bring him an immediate revenue. For this reason, the development of interest in reforestation on the part of farmers has been slow. ' ' I feel, as I believe all around this table feel, that a great deal of progress has been made, and I can see from the facts that have been presented here today that this is in a large part due to the very intelligent public policy on the part of the agencies in the state responsible for forestry development which have placed the essential facts before the people of the state and developed the plans to make more forest planting possible. No doubt there are Plantation at the Boonville Reservoik. very many points that can be improved, but I think that we can congratulate ourselves that our policy is as forward looking and strong as it is at the present time. The County Farm Bureau System. — ' ' I suppose I am asked to this conference today more particularly because of my relation to the county agent work which is an important part of the state's agricultural extension service, and because of the possibilities of using this system to help carry forward this general reforestation policy of the state. I am glad to pledge all the assistance that the county agent system can properly give to this worthy objective. " We now have a county agent in every agricultural county in the state, except Putnam and Hamilton, which do not have a suffi- Reforestation Conference 25 cient number of farmers to enable them to support an agent. We are ready to work with these counties when they provide the neces- sary local organization and funds. The farm bureau organization of the state supporting the county agent system has about 8000 local committeemen who are selected on a community basis by neighborhoods or school districts. These men are the local leaders of all the extension and farm bureau projects. Bach community makes its own program through these committeemen. That pro- gram is or should be based on the vital enterprises in that com- munity. The program is arrived at somewhat in the following manner. "In a community the committeemen are either selected by the bureau membership in that community, or selected or appointed by the officers of the county organization. The latter method is usually employed in the beginning, but the members like to look forward to the election method. The committeemen are elected because of their good standing in the community and their leader- ship in some particular enterprise, and they are usually chosen not only to represent their neighborhoods' districts in the community, but also to represent enterprises, e. g., in a community interested in dairying, poultry, and potatoes, a leading dairyman, a poultryman, and a potato grower come together with others at the call of the chairman and go at their problems something like this: How Local Programs are Made. — "The first question to be de- termined is, what are the chief sources of income in this com- munity? Having arrived at the answer to this question and indi- cated the two, three or four principal sources of income in the community, the second question naturally follows: ' ' What are the factors which limit these sources of income ? The answer will probably be such factors as poor seed, the ravages of insects or diseases, lack of drainage, poor markets, or what not, that might limit production and sale of farm products. " The third logical question after having determined the chief sources of income and their limiting factors, is what can we do in a practical way to overcome them ? The answers to these questions, together with certain other plans, is the program for that com- munity. ' ' Now you can readily see how this system can be made to func- tion in a community, whose chief interests are forest interests. As I have shown, we have found it very difficult to develop that inter- est in the forest counties. In the first place the men who own many of the farms which have some wood land are either not resi- dent or they are not interested, so it is not as easy to get hold of the leaders in the forest communities as it is in the normal farming community, where the majority of farmers are engaged in dairy- ing, for example. But as we have seen, this interest is grow- ing all the time and a number of county agents like Mr. Davies in Herkimer and Mr. Barlow in Otsego have begun to work on this proposition from a community standpoint, and have developed to some extent local community planting programs. 26 New Yoek State Conservation Commission How County Agents Can Help. — "I think that reforestation could probably be given a great deal of impetus, Commissioner, by some district conferences called at the proper times and places dur- ing the coming winter. " If you were to take the areas centering around Lowville and Saratoga and put it up to the four or five county agents in those regions to select local committeemen who are leading farmers in forest townships, and who have considerable organization ability, and to bring with them to such meetings as many as they could of that type of men, they could all come together at some central point like Lowville or Albany, and there could be held a district reforest- ation rally. At such times, qualified state representatives could give such essential and convincing facts as have been presented here today. A program could be developed which might be adopted in some of the counties. This would give tree planting a great stimu- lus. That is the way many of our other programs are developed, for instance the seed program. In some cases, such as seed potatoes, special organizations have been formed to push the program for- ward. Such a conference will soon be held in Syracuse in coopera- tion with the Department of Farms and Markets to further the cleaning up of bovine tuberculosis in the state. These conferences are very useful, first in presenting the facts and then in crystalliz- ing sentiment into action. " Further, in each community we try to have one person whom we call a project leader for each project of the bureau which is important in that community. Where reforestation is a problem, there should be a forest project leader. Since this is a matter in which the public interest is fully as important as the farmer's interest, it would probably be well to supplement this farm bureau project leader system with certain other local leaders, who might for instance be representatives of Chambers of Commerce or Fish and Game Clubs. In any plans to further the general end of a more vigorous and intelligent public and private forest policy, I desire to assure you, Mr. Commissioner, of the full and cordial support of the New York State College of Agriculture and its cooperating agencies. ' ' EXTENSION WORK IN FORESTRY By Ealph S. Hosmee, Professor of Forestry, Cornell University " In responding to the invitation of Commissioner Macdonald to speak on ' Extension Work in Forestry ' at this Conference, I wish to divide what I have to say into two parts : First, a few notes on some of the activities in forestry extension with which I am most closely in touch, namely, those that we at Cornell are carrying on ; and second, certain practical suggestions that I hope may be of help in forwarding the movement for reforestation in this state. " In addition to appearing for the Department of Forestry at Cornell University, I have been delegated, in the absence of Mr. George N. Ostrander, to represent here, today, the Empire State Reforestation Conference 27 Forest Products Association, and also my colleague at Cornell, Prof. A. B. Recknagel, who was asked to speak on the reforesting work of lumber and paper and pulp companies. For him I desire to request permission to insert in the minutes of this conference a memorandum that will bring down to date and somewhat expand a statement which he prepared for Bulletin No. 8 of the Empire State Forest Products Association, issued in February, 1921. That state- ment lists a number of companies owning forest land in the Adiron- dacks that are planting forests. I have today no further contribu- tion to make to those figures. As they are already in print there is no need to read them. Reforesting the Gi.oveesviixe Watershed. Each Year. New Plantations are Added ' ' Speaking first, then, of extension work in forestry, let me men- tion very briefly some of the activities in extension that are being conducted from Cornell, with especial emphasis on those phases of the work that relate to the topic that we have under consideration. ' ' The Department of Forestry at Cornell University is a depart- • ment of the New York State College of Agriculture. The College has three principal objects; teaching, research and extension. In forestry we are carrying on several general lines of extension work and developing them as far as a small extension personnel and limited appropriations permit. The aim of all our extension work is to be of direct help to the owner of forest lands in New York 28 New York State Conservation Commission State. This is accomplished by correspondence, publications, lec- tures, personal inspection of woodland or of land to be planted to forest, and cooperative care of forest lands. Demonstration Forest Areas. — "It was early found in exten- sion work in forestry that actual examples of forests under manage- ment counted for much more than descriptive lectures and talks. Accordingly, wherever possible stress has been put on field demon- strations. It is the policy of Cornell to establish and maintain demonstration forest areas, in cooperation with private owners of forest land, in each of the forested counties of the state. These demonstration areas may be either woodlots under forest manage- ment or forest plantations. In earlier years attention was centered largely on securing the introduction of systematic methods of silvicultural management in the betterment of existing stands through improvement cuttings and thinnings, and in the harvesting of the forest crop. The procedure followed in rendering assistance of this sort, in response to requests made to the Department of Forestry, is to send out a representative who visits the area, advises with the owner on the ground, and then follows up his verbal recommendations by a carefully prepared letter, or, if need be, by a more detailed plan of work. Subsequent visits of inspection keep the forest owner in touch with the department. " The services of the specialists of the Department of Forestry, as of the other departments of the College, may be had upon re- quest by any resident of the state. In many instances the requested information or assistance can be given without cost to the appli- cant. In other cases, when personal visits are required, the outlay on the part of the forest owner covers merely the traveling expenses of the agent sent. It is customary to combine several visits in one trip. This reduces the expense to each applicant to a nominal figure. There is of course no charge for information given through correspondence, nor for publications. Marketing Forest Products. — Of late it has seemed wise to concentrate efforts on particular projects, especially on those having to do with economic problems in forest crop production, such as the cooperative marketing of forest products, and the development of special uses of the forest. In the last two or three years Profes- sor G. Harris Collingwood, the extension specialist in forestry at Cornell, has put much time and thought into work in connection with the development of the maple syrup and sugar industry in New York State. Technical information has been brought together and made available for the use of the maple producers, that has been of material value to them. The cooperative marketing of maple products is now an established fact in this state. Cornell has also been interested in the cooperative marketing of other for- est products. One farmer may not have enough of a certain kind of timber to sell it to advantage, but if several adjoining woodlot owners combine to make up carload lots, it is often possible to put the product on the market to the benefit of both producer and buyer. Reforestation Conference 29 " In all the extension work in forestry conducted from Ithaca, the specialist from the College works in close cooperation with the county agents. He also has his part in the so-called ' extension schools,' where one or more extension specialists go out to remain for several days in one locality. In this way more intimate per- sonal contacts can be made between the forester and the woodland owners, and often results covering a large number of persons can be secured than is possible through visits to individuals. Demonstration, Accomplishments. — "Best of all in extension work of this type is where a group of persons can be taken out to a woodlot, or a forest plantation, and shown directly and definitely what has been accomplished there through forest management. One such demonstration goes a long way further in driving home the advantages of forestry work than do a number of formal lec- tures. Several demonstrations of this sort have recently been car- ried out, through the cooperation of county agents, in connection with field days or picnics of the local farm bureau. If his neighbors on such an excursion see that John Smith is getting good results and making money because he once established a forest plantation, or is giving thought to the proper care of his woodland, they are much more likely to pattern after his example than they would be to follow the suggestions given in a lecture. Especially is this true when a series of forest plantations can be visited, say one just estab- lished, another 15 or 20 years old, where the trees are beginning to show up to advantage and amount to something, and then an older plantation, where a cutting has already been made and definite figures of yields per acre are available. When it can be shown tangibly that forestry work is a good investment, — adequate pro- tection being assured, — such a demonstration is more productive of results than is any other form of extension work. " Farmers and other land owners in the forested counties are naturally more interested in reforestation than are those in the counties that are largely agricultural. To get a comprehensive forest planting program under way, a conference is held, where, through the cooperation of the county agent, the local committee- men of the farm bureau and other land owners are got together to meet the specialist from the College. A definite program can then be outlined and plans laid for systematic work. Because of the fact that the state wide county agent organization heads up in the State College of Agriculture, the Department of Forestry at Cornell is peculiarly well situated to handle work of this type. So much for general activities in extension. Coordination Needed. — "Now more specifically, as to reforesta- tion, the second point on which I wish to speak. It seems to me that the first step today is to take stock of just where we stand, and then to decide what is the best procedure to adopt to advance the purpose we have in view. The object of this conference, as I understand it, is to coordinate the efforts of the various agencies in the state that are working for reforestation. There is already plenty of machinery. The need is, through cooperation and coordi- 30 New York State Conservation Commission nation, to make sure that the power is so applied as to get the best results. " "What then are the agencies, and what information and data must we have in hand on which to base our program? The Con- servation Commission is ready to supply large numbers of trees for forest planting, either at cost or gratis, under the free tree act. But you, Mr. Commissioner, naturally wish to know several seasons in advance what the probable demand is going to be, that sufficient stock may be made ready in the state nurseries. The two forest schools in this state, at Syracuse and at Cornell, have their definite parts to play in reforestation, through extension and other work. A two cent stamp to carry his request, is all that any one needs to get things started from either institution. "Among other agencies in the State that are interested in refor- estation are the game clubs and sportsmen's organizations, the associations in New York City made up of owners of forest land in the Adirondacks, the Empire State Forest Products Association, and the New York State Forestry Association. In the last two years especially, the last named Association has been particularly active in forwarding forest planting on municipal watersheds, and in directing the work of troops of Boy Scouts in this activity. Others, of course, have also cooperated with the Boy Scouts Organization, and the Conservation Commission has stood behind all these efforts. " Further in this general connection I want to say here that personally I believe the New York State Forestry Association has a unique opportunity and duty, in that it can undertake certain kinds of work that neither the Conservation Commission nor the Forest Schools can so effectively carry on, whether this be because of lack of funds or for other reasons. The chief duty of the Con- servation Commission is administration. It cannot, even if it would, carry on extension work as efficiently as can the Forest Schools, for extension is essentially a branch of education, and hence the work of the educational institutions. The State Forestry Association is in a position to reach certain classes of persons that are not touched by extension work, but whose interest it is most desirable to enlist. During the past year, for example, the For- estry Association has been making a drive to make evident to big business interests in the state the close relation of forests and forest work to their own industries. Satisfactory results have been attained and another force has been set at work for the advance- ment of forestry. ' ' Such, briefly, are the agencies in the field. We are all familiar with the situation as it exists. But how about the question of what data are fundamental to the actual carrying 'out of a program of reforestation? How much of this knowledge do we already possess? Let us also look at these questions. You, Mr. Commissioner, have just quoted figures of areas in need of reforestation. Mr. Pettis has set forth data regarding the state nurseries. Others have sup- Reforestation Conference 31 plied additional information. We all know in a general way the parts of the state that are most in need of reforestation. All of this is good, bnt to go ahead to the best advantage we also need to know some other things more exactly than we do now. It seems to me that to get what additional information is required brings us practically to a proposition of where, what and how to plant. " The question of how to plant is already pretty well answered by publications that are now available, such as Bulletin No. 2 of the Conservation Commission and other publications of a similar nature that have been issued by Syracuse and Cornell. As to what to plant, there is plenty of information to be had for the White Pine Tbbes on Watershed at Salamanca, N". Y., Planted Eight Years Ago. asking, provided one specifies the locality where the work is to be done. The choice of the particular kind of tree to use in a given locality of course depends on a number of factors, among them local climatic conditions, soil, liability to insect injury or to disease, such as the white pine blister rust. But we know enough about most of these things to be able to advise the land owner what he should or should not plant in his own section. Where to Plant. — "It seems to me, therefore, that the essential question that we have before us now is where to plant, and the suggestion that I wish to put forward has to do with how we shall go at that. 32 New York State Conservation Commission "As I see it, we need to know for each county how much land should be forested and where it is located. In the discussion con- cerning a national forest policy there has been a good deal said of the need of a reconnaissance survey, to differentiate the non- agricultural land, suitable only for forest production, from the agri- cultural and other areas that can be put to more intensive use. I am not proposing here anything as detailed as that, but I do think that a survey could be made, through the county agent organiza- tion, at very little expense, that would give a great deal of exact information that we do not now possess. As it is now most of us stop with the general figures that have been quoted this afternoon. ' ' What I propose is, that the county agents be requested to get their local committeemen to report, with the town as a unit, the location of the areas where forest planting is desirable, together with the approximate acreage of these areas. This is not a diffi- cult task. We should then have for the greater part of the state statistics that were definite and tangible. Then, knowing from data now in hand what the local conditions are in each locality, plus such meteorological records and soil surveys as are obtain- able, we should be in a position to go forward with a positive pro- gram that would interest the people in forest planting, whether their holdings in terms of land ownership were large or small. ' ' To enable such a reconnaissance survey to be done quickly and economically requires the use of a base map for each county. Maps suitable for this particular use are not always to be had. The ordinary maps either have too much detail or are drawn to a scale that is too large or too small. I had in mind suggesting the county maps issued by the U. S. Post Office Department that show in out- line the roads and rural delivery routes. These come in sheets, one for each county, that sell at 35 cents each. (See Price List No. 53, 11th edition, 1921, p. 9, Supt. of Documents, Washington, D. C.) But within the last few days there has come to my attention a map of one county, Chenango, that would serve the purpose still better, provided similar maps are available for the other counties. " This Chenango County map was used recently by the County Agent, Mr. V. A. Fogg of Norwich, N. Y., in gathering information regarding the location of white pine stands, in connection with blister rust eradication work. He asked his local committeemen to sketch in on the base map the pine plantations and to indicate the acreage of each. The results show that the method is wholly practicable. It could be used equally well in determining the loca- tion and size of areas that it would be desirable to plant to forest. The map used in this case appears to have been made by tracing an old time county map. The scale is approximately 2y 2 inches to the mile, which makes, for that county, a convenient size to use, either in the field or the office. ' ' Besides furnishing accurate data as to where to plant, knowl- edge of the fact that such a survey was being made would in itself direct attention to the reforestation program. Proper publicity given this phase of the work, along with other pertinent matter Reforestation Conference 33 about forest planting, would prepare the way for the extension workers when they came to present their case to the owners of the forest lands in the towns where the best economic use of the land appeared to be the production of forests. I believe this device can be used to advantage in forwarding the reforestation program. Make the Idle Acres Work. — "There is no question but that reforestation work on a large scale is required in New York State. We in this country are rapidly approaching the time when our only source of timber and of wood for other purposes will be the second growth forests. The diminishing supply, the long distances from which high grade material must even now be brought to supply our local markets, the fact that New York has a great area of non-agricultural land that is now for all practical purposes unproductive, all point to the necessity that forestry be practiced rather than talked about. Where the forest can be restored through natural reproduction, and very much of it can be if fire is kept out, that is usually the best procedure. But to get vacant land reforested requires planting. " The problem that New York State faces involves a large area of land but it presents no very great technical difficulties. The important thing is to concentrate effort and to make everything that is done count. Interest in forest planting is developing rapidly, but it needs to be fostered and directed. The keynote of the campaign should be that reforestation is distinctly a sound economic proposition, and that every forest plantation successfully established is an asset not only to the owner, but to the state. Reforestation is not a subject that requires argument. The essence of the whole matter lies in the phrase ' make the idle acres work. ' ' ' TREE PLANTING BY FOREST INDUSTRIES IN NEW YORK A. B. Recknagel., Forester and Secretary, Empire State Forest Products Association "Although no detailed census of tree planting by the forest industries in New York State has been made since 1917, the follow- ing are among the many operators in New York State who have taken definite steps in a planting program : Brooklyn Cooperage Co. Chateaugay Ore and Iron Co. (D. & H. R. R.) Diana Paper Co. Finch, Pruyn & Co. High Falls Pulp Co. International Paper Co. Lacona Lumber Co. National Paper Products Co. Nehasane Park Association. Northern New York Utilities. Santa Clara Lumber Co. St. Regis Paper Co. 34 New York State Conservation Commission " There is a great and a growing interest in tree planting among the owners of wood-using plants, whether they be lumber- men, pulp and paper manufacturers, cooperage mills, or furniture factories. The growing scarcity of raw material has brought home to these industries the need for assuring themselves of a future supply. In part this can be done by natural reproduction of the forest on lands already owned. But there is inevitably a large amount of waste and unproductive land which must be restocked artificially if it is to contribute needed wood supplies for the future. " The census which this Association made in 1917 showed that ten per cent of the area owned by its membership is vacant land — ...^iS&ft^ ffi.afflfc, 38 AM • '•■1 '■'■:-"■■■*■ Plantation on Rochester Watershed, Six Years Old in 1922. that is, land which is unproductive now and which will remain so unless aggressive steps are taken to bring about its reforestation. Some of the land is burned down to the bare rocks and will require the slow processes of time to provide soil adequate for tree growth. But much of it could be made productive today by planting it with trees. " The great extent of this unproductive area — 138,594 acres within the Association membership in 1917 — makes the actual accomplishment in acres planted seem insignificant by comparison. Although no exact figures are available a conservative estimate of the planting done by commercial concerns in this state for the past year is between 2500 and 3000 acres. The total area which has Reforestation Conference 35 been privately planted in this state is about 30,000 acres — of this at least a half has been planted by the forest industries and other commercial interests, including railroads, mining companies and water power corporations. ' ' Several of the larger concerns have their own nurseries where they produce the trees needed to reforest their lands. This move- ment is growing and will relieve the strain upon the state nurseries. " The Free Tree Act has not produced the hoped for results among private planters, largely because of the red tape involved and because of the unwillingness of owners to relinquish any con- trol over the future management of their lands. ' ' A questionnaire on reforestation by the forest industries of the state is being prepared by this Association and will be sent out by the end of the calendar year, so that accurate statistics for 1922 will be available. "This Association pledges its support of the movement inaugu- rated by the Conservation Commission to further the planting of trees in the State of New York and stands ready to cooperate with other agencies interested in like purposes. ' ' COMMUNITY FORESTS By J. R. Simmons, Secretary-Forester, New York State Forestry Association " Community forests have existed in Europe for more than three centuries, and have been found very profitable investments. In some localities a few thousand acres of hand-made municipal forest have for many years been paying all the expenses of the city government, — mayor, aldermen, police and fire departments ; and citizens have in some cases even received a check instead of a tax bill at the end of the year. " The community forest movement in this country is just be- ginning to materialize. The reluctance with which we have adopted it here has been due chiefly to two causes (1) we considered that our forest resources were inexhaustible, and (2) we were unwilling to accept European figures on town forests because we had no mature planted forests of our own from which figures could be obtained for comparison. " Time has at last eliminated both of these objections. We now know and admit that our forest resources are not inexhaustible, and we have located more than a dozen mature coniferous planta- tions made by sturdy farmers in New England and New York forty to sixty years ago. ' ' Inasmuch as reforestation has been the keynote of a construc- tive program which the Forestry Association, cooperating with the Conservation Commission and other agencies, has endeavored to carry forward this last year, it is perhaps fitting that some of the facts and figures pertaining to full grown American planted forests should be presented at this time. For on the basis of results Mature Unthinned Plantation at Rehoboth, Mass., Age, 56 Years, Contents, 44 M. Board Feet Per Acre. Reforestation Conference 37 which show that planted forests will yield as much or more than natural stands of equal age, we made an offer before the Thirteenth Annual Conference of Mayors, June 7, 1922, to assist any city in the State in the establishment of a municipal forest on its water- shed or upon land set aside by the city for permanent forest. " The first plantation to which I would call your attention is known as the Latham plantation, comprising 12 acres, at East Bridgewater in Massachusetts. This beautiful stand of 46 year old white pine was cut flat in 1921, and the lumber is being purchased for shoe boxes in the city of Brockton, one of the largest shoe- manufacturing centers in this country. Figures on the amount of lumber sawn at the mill are now being obtained and will be pre- sented at a future meeting of this conference. In 1914 the speaker measured the Latham plantation and published the following figures in a state bulletin. These figures were considered con- servative and were compiled from Massachusetts volume tables. Summary of Measurements (1914) Area 12 acres Spacing 10 feet Age of trees 39 years Total trees per acre 452 Average height 50 feet No of board feet per acre 25,000 Total board feet in stand 300,000 " Typical of other plantations in the same locality which have grown to maturity, been sold and cut off, are the following : The C. M. Cook plantation at Bridgewater, which at fifty years meas- ured 35,000 board feet per acre ; the plantation at Taunton and the plantation near Hanson, each of which scaled around 35,000 feet per acre. " Of plantations still standing the following are typical : Rehoboth Plantation (White Pine) (1914 Measurements) Area 1 acres Age 56 years Number of trees per acre 480 Board feet per acre 44,000 Sharon Plantation (White Pine) (1914 Measurements) Area 2 acres Age 56 y ears Number of trees per acre 254 Board feet per acre 38,500 38 New York State Conservation Commission Georgetown Plantation (Norway Spruce and White Pine) (1912 Measure) Area 2y 2 acres Age 48 years Total stand per acre ' . . 33,000 board feet " The foregoing facts and figures should not be interpreted as showing that it is necessary to wait fifty years and then make a profit by cutting the plantation clean. On the contrary the planta- tion should be thinned at regular intervals, the product marketed, Mature Thinned Plantation, South Lancaster, Mass., Growing Ovek 1,000 Board Feet Per Acre Per Year, Contains About 45 M. Board Feet Per Acre. and the planted forest maintained on a perpetual basis. The fol- lowering interesting facts on a 50-year plantation managed on a forestry basis are herewith submitted : " At South Lancaster, Mass., the Kilburn plantation of white pine was set out some sixty years ago. In 1908 a thinning was made, and all of the suppressed and inferior trees were removed. The record of thinning for two acres is as follows : Box boards 14,000 feet Cord wood 40 cords Cost of brush disposal $35 Stumpage price received for lumber ... $8 per M. Stumpage price received for cord wood $1 per cord Profit per acre $20 Reforestation Conference 39 " The net profit appears small, as a portion of the money was expended in improvement of the stand. But measurements made six years later show that the remaining trees have greatly in- creased in growth on account of the added sunlight which they receive. The thinned stand now contains nearly 45,000 board feet per acre. " We have, it seems to me,, all the evidence necessary to show that community forests in America, and particularly in our own section of the country, would be paying propositions. Everyone here of course appreciates the many uses to which a community forest is put in addition to its uses as a maker of revenue. It is a regulator of stream flow, a recreational asset, a promoter of the public health, and an object of beauty and inspiration. " There is no reason why we should wait for unanimous agree- ment of every interest on every phase of forest policy, when legis- lation for the establishment of municipal forests already exists. From the standpoint of all concerned, this conference is timely, and should be productive of excellent results. Reforestation of our waste and idle land has become an obligation. Fortunately for us there are competent forces which can be organized ; the State has the trees; the rewards are ample. Upon reasonable in- vestigation, forest building will be found practical for those who do the actual planting, as well as for the future generation. ' ' WHAT A COUNTY CAN DO IN REFORESTATION By A. D. Davies, Farm Bureau Agent, Herkimer ' ' I have listened with considerable interest to the different lines of attack on the forestry program in New York State, and I have a county reforestation program here that I worked out for your approval or rejection. At least these are a few suggestions that I have to offer, as a result of work that has been carried on in Lewis and Herkimer counties, during the last four years. "As I see the situation from a county viewpoint, it is divided into three different phases. The first is the county situation, the second is the publicity and the third is the planting. " Under the county situation, what we want is a statement of where and what kind of trees are advisable to plant and then some good illustrations of planting that have already been carried on in the county. Professor Hosmer brought out the point very well in his talk, as to how the survey is being taken care of in Chenango County. " Last spring, at Watertown, we had a conference of Jefferson and Lewis Counties. I was more or less in touch with the northern part of Oneida and Herkimer. We drew up a map showing the agricultural area and reforestation area (these were made on topographical maps obtained from Washington) so as to give a little idea of what areas were to be reforested. 40 New York State Conservation Commission ' ' Under the second point, publicity, in addition to having a few of these plantations as demonstrations, I believe there ought to be some kind of a county committee. This county committee should be made of at least one person in each community interested in reforesting work. Here are a few of the points that these county committees would work under. " For example, in Herkimer County, we are aiming this year to have a special conservation week, just the same as was held last year, having moving picture reels, slides and then talks on conser- vation, including not only reforestation work, but also some Fish Interior Xorway Spruce Plantation, 24 Years Old, Millbrook, Dutchess County. and Game Club work. We are hoping to have the cooperation of the Fish and Game Clubs of the county, of which we have a number in the Mohawk Valley. There is always interest in better fishing and better hunting, and I believe that by holding these meetings in the villages we are going to get the interest of the land owners who have moved to town, and get them interested in taking two or three days off in the spring and actually putting in a few thou- sand trees. Another point that the county committee may well consider is a summer field tour. Last year at Watertown there was a summer field tour started. Those on the trip went to Lewis County and up to Carthage "Waterworks and saw the plantation at Belfort. Reforestation Conference 41 A district conference and meeting was also held at White Lake for Lewis, Herkimer and Oneida Counties late in August. On this second trip those interested in reforestation came out and saw the actual planting of trees and then finally visited a planta- tion that had been planted 45 or 50 years previous. " These summer tours are a good advertisement, and the winter meetings are also worth while. We create interest by giving pub- licity out at these two times of the year to encourage farmers and others to get their applications filled out ready for planting in the spring and fall. "Another point that I think would be beneficial, would be to have signs printed indicating the time plantations were started. These signs should be placed by good plantations all over New York State. For example, trees may have been planted in 1912. If a sign were placed showing the year these trees were planted people who go by will watch these trees grow and will become interested in seeing how fast the plantations develop. "Another point is to prevent the stealing of trees by tourists. That is a serious menace at the present time. Near White Lake and along other state roads, tourists will pull up five or six trees and place them on the side of their car, and in pulling these up will destroy others in the plantation. These trees are placed on the side of the car with the roots exposed and naturally the trees die before they go far. "Another point that the committee may well work on is giving publicity to reforestation work generally in the county. " The next point is to cooperate with the State Conservation Commission in disease control, i. e., work with Mr. Amadon and his associates in the different districts. "Another point is having a county source of information to link up the State Conservation Commission with people within the county, who are interested in reforestation work. ' ' It might also be well to have in this central office in the county a map of the county, such as Mr. Fogg, of Chenango County, has worked out, showing the location of the important plantations in the county. Also, if possible, some recommendations of the types of trees, best adapted for planting within the county. There is another point of information that should be in the office, i. e., a group of photos, showing the effect of white pine blister rust and Mr. Amadon has already sent us a series of these at Herkimer — certainly very well worth while, illustrating white pine blister rust. " Now to get down to the third point of planting. The state land problem will in each county, naturally be taken care of by the state. In certain counties in New York State, according to the present tax law, the land goes back to the County. In other words we have county property, and usually this is poor land, that might well be reforested on a county basis, a good deal along the same line as the state is doing. 42 New York State Conservation Commission ' ' To get practical results in the field it seems to me that the com- munity or township unit is more logical to work on. We have in Lewis County, the Town of Watson, that has already done this work of reforestation on a township basis. The Town Board pur- chased the land, the District Superintendent of Schools and the teachers cooperated with the Town Board and helped them organ- ize the work on a definite basis, and this spring for example 90 school children from the town planted 10,000 trees in about three hours. That was these children's Arbor Day exercises. " They have about 94 acres at the present time and are expect- ing to plant each year about 10,000 trees. \mi .. ';•-.,"?■€ ■' 11 \^ v '"« ''^'W'f^ r ~.\ : M~--^ ■"'■■ ''■'' : '~ , ■><;^\%2ki;. l^'^P^v ■-' ipi \\ > M - : ■ : spiWfJjllii^lil : .. ... .%_y , 1 1 \\ Hip :-,: "' ' "V V-JiL [ Scotch Pine Plantation, 30 Years Old, Dutchess County. "Another similar unit that may be worked to good advantage is school districts. Certain school districts may have waste land or they may have acquired land. " Another point in these Arbor Day exercises — I would like to make the suggestion that a statement be sent out all over New York State around Arbor Day time, giving the facts on the for- estry situation, in New York State, and if possible that the state- ment be worded in such a way that the school children in their Arbor Day exercises may be impressed with the actual situation. I believe if this was tried it would do considerable good. "lam wondering if on the village problem, we cannot get the school children in the villager to do planting a good deal the same Reforestation Conference 43 as they are working the problem out at Port Leyden? Here the school children go up to the village water works each spring and do a certain amount of planting. " To get down to the city and village forests, this seems to be a village board problem or a city water board problem, to work on — for example Carthage and Little Falls are two of the more impor- tant villages or cities in New York State which are attempting to solve this problem. I think Carthage has about 500,000 trees in at the present time and Little Palls has very nearly the same number. " There is another publicity agency, and that is the Pish and Game Club movement. Pish and Game Clubs may well continue reforestation on land that they own and I think there are stock companies, such as the Oneonta Conservation Club, where indi- viduals in that community are organizing a company to reforest, i. e., on a stock basis. " To get back to the big business idea, the Diana Paper Com- pany, at Harrisville, is giving special encouragement to the refor- estation program, by actually growing trees from seed and carry- ing them on through to the time the planting is completed. The next point is getting down to the individuals in the community who are planting as a good long time investment for their children or somewhat along the insurance idea. All of this work as I see it can be brought together under a county reforestation committee and then link it with the State Conservation Commission and the other organizations that are interested in the reforestation problem. " There is one thing more I want to mention, i. e., that we don't want to place too much emphasis on people going at this for the sake of being good fellows and planting, trees. "We have to work on a good business basis and somebody has to foot the bills of the actual planting. Our present public agents who are interested may well direct the work of children throughout the state, who may get an educational return for their labor, and also get them con- verted to the idea of reforestation and the value to the common wealth. PROFIT IN PLANTED FORESTS James P. Dubuar, Director, State Ranger School " The success of the reforestation program depends on the gen- eral acceptance of it's principles and the putting of them into effect. Though a great deal has already been accomplished by the Conservation Commission both in the way of reforesting unproduc- tive lands owned by the State and also in influencing forest land owners to artificially . reforest their idle lands, there is yet one class to which it must largely be proved that artificial reforestation is economically sound. This class is made up of the manufactur- ing industries which depend on the forest for their supply of raw materials. Until they join our ranks reforestation will not hold the place which it should. 44 New York State Conservation Commission "In a great many cases the industries referred to are able to make the investment required now to produce a stand of timber on their lands by artificial means. They evidently do not do it because they are not convinced that it means a profit in the end and their attitude not only affects the establishing of a forest on their own lands but serves as a bad example which hinders refor- estation generally. " It is certainly the duty of foresters to overcome such an atti- tude and I believe that it lies within our power to do so. We are so sure of the economic soundness of reforestation that we often for- get to really prove our case. Though our education and experience may be the basis for statements which we know to be correct, we can hardly expect general acceptance of them unless they are backed up by real proof. " It is, therefore, my opinion that an effort should be made by the Conservation Commission and the forestry schools of the State working together, to collect as great an amount of information as possible in regard to costs of plantations, their rate of growth and the amount of profit that can reasonably be expected from the reforestation of otherwise unproductive lands. If a considerable amount of reliable information of this nature could be put before the wood using industries of the State it would, no doubt, be the deciding argument in many cases. ' ' from AND CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES [m < -fm " D * ft =3t Extinguish matches cigars, cigarettes. - Put out your camp fire before you leave. Conservation Commission I