fully realizes this state of affairs, and wisely declines to purchase or even consider the purchase of farm lands. The whole function of the State in the forestry problem is to do that for the future which the individual cannot afford to do, or for which he can not wait for a return.

The land already acquired by the Commonwealth, reckoned in acres, may seem like a considerable area. If, however, you look upon the railroad map of the State, which is drawn upon the scale of six miles to the inch, you will find it forms an area only about four inches square containing 16 square inches. If the unproductive areas of the State were gathered together in one place, they would be represented by a space on that map of about two hundred square inches instead of sixteen.

The land acquired by the State is to be cared for, otherwise it had better never have been purchased. This opens a large question of ways, means and results. The great trouble now in the practical application of forestry principles, is the lack of trained help. Forestry is not lumbering. The latter concerns itself entirely with converting timber into lumber, but forestry, whilst it does this, does also something more. It not only removes one forest growth but it produces a new one to take its place. Lumbering destroys itself as a business. Forestry perpetuates lumbering.

It is useless to hope for the best results until we have skilled labor. If we are to train our forest help we may as well do it under such conditions as will enable us to retain it after it is trained. The first thing to do where you have a trained man in your work is to have him assured that he will not be discharged so long as he renders acceptable service, and this should be the condition of affairs in State forestry. The only question to be considered in employing a man to work on the State Forestry Reservation is, is be the best man attainable for the money. His political creed is his own concern and neither fits nor unfits him for State forestry work.

With this declaration of principles we may go one step further. When a man comes into the forestry service of the State who is good enough to be desirable to retain, he should at once be encouraged to fit himself for promotion. If you can assure a man, first, of permanent work, and second, of protection as Le merits it, you have established the whole system of forestry service for the Commonwealth, and you have done so upon principles which cannot be shaken. In brief, the State must educate its foresters, because it can obtain them in no other way. This opens up a new avenue for the deserving and ambitious young men of the country. As proof of this, I desire to call your attention to the fact that every member of last years class in the Cornell forestry school was taken at once

for service under the general government. So that forestry has come to be in the United States an established calling.

I now ask your attention to a plan which seems to me to solve the problem of our State's needs and at the same time to provide education for the farmer's boy in work allied to agriculture and widely useful to the farmers of the State. It is this, that the State take each year twenty young men, who are to be selected by a fair competitive examination, place them upon the reservations, where, in return for three days of honest labor each week, they are to be housed, fed, clothed and scientifically educated as foresters: Provided, that they give acceptable bonds to remunerate the State for all money expended upon them, if they fail in examination or are dismissed for misconduct or failure to do their duty. They would be trained in the field in surveying, road-making, planting forest trees, care of the forest, lumbering, constitution of soil, forest laws, etc. In due time these men would be scattered over the State and become centres of knowledge and help in every community where they might locate.

I desire here to call attention to a healthful condition of affairs which exists in portions of Centre and Clinton counties. The charge had been made that in certain counties farmers were in the habit of firing the woods to provide better pasturage for cattle which were turned loose in summer upon the mountains. This charge was indignantly denied, and at a meeting held in Lock Haven, a large number of representative farmers in a suitable set of resolutions declared their intention, not only to aid in suppressing such fires, but also to do what they could towards discovering and reporting those who created them. I wish to say here that the charge under consideration was not made by the Forestry Department.

This action calls up another statement. There are times when grazing cattle may do a great injury to a young forest. If, for example, the land has been recently burned over and the tops of the young shoots have not got above reach of the cattle and if the grass is insufficient to support the herd, the only other existing means of support is by browsing off these young shoots. This usually results in producing a crooked, valuless stick of timber. If, on the other hand, the second growth is already fairly started, moderate grazing does but little harm. Hence you can readily see that if fires could be held in check there need be no restriction upon pasturage of cattle in our mountain lands. I have now in mind certain regions where there is a luxuriant growth of young timber in spite of the fact that cattle have roamed there every year.

This coming season we propose to begin actual tree planting in certain selected spots. Ten thousand young white pine trees are ready for transplanting. It may be well to say that the success of white pine planting in this State is no longer problematic. General

Oliver has already settled that. The work is not an expensive one either. White pine seedlings can be had ready for transplanting at about ten dollars a thousand; that is for transplanted stock which is ready for any suitable condition of soil and climate. It is my hope that in the near future the Forestry Department will be able each season to furnish, free of charge, to the members of this Board abundance of such young white pine trees for diffusion over the State. The expense of raising such young nursery stock is very slight when once the work is commenced. From a central nursery a hundred thousand such trees could be sent out and the cost to produce them ought not to exceed two dollars a thousand. This surely would be a thing which the State might safely undertake in the interest of its farming population. These trees would grow into value on otherwise waste land, and while growing might be made to afford protection against wind and storm for home and for stock.

I feel that I ought to call your attention to the act approved May 2, 1901, which is as follows:

AN ACT

For the better protection of timber lands against fire, and providing for the expenses of the same, and directing what shall be done with the fines collected and costs paid.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That when the commissioners of any county or counties fail to "appoint persons under oath, whose duty it shall be to ferret out and bring to punishment all persons or corporations who either wilfully or otherwise cause the burning of timber lands," within their respective counties, as is provided for by the act of July 15, 1897, or when they have appointed inefficient persons to do the work aforesaid; the Commissioner of Forestry may, on the request of residents of a county in which such fires have been created, or on the request of the owner or owners of land which has been injured by the fires so created, appoint a detective or detectives, and employ an attorney or attorneys, to ferret out and bring to punishment, as aforesaid, those who cause the burning of timber lands; and all expenses incurred by the Commissioner of Forestry under the operation of this act shall be paid by the State Treasurer, on warrant drawn by the Auditor General, if the said bills shall be approved by the Governor and the Commissioner of Forestry; and all the fines collected shall be paid by the magistrate or by order of the court to the Commissioner of Forestry, and be paid by him to the Treasurer of the Commonwealth.

Section 2. When conviction is obtained, under the provisions of this act, of persons or corporations causing the burning of timber

lands, then the Auditor General, on the request of the Commissioner of Forestry, may refuse to pay the State's share of the money due to the county for the services of the person or persons, appointed by the county commissioners to ferret out and bring to punishment those who caused forest fires in the districts where such persons served as fire detectives, to make arrests and secure conviction, and for which conviction was obtained by the detectives appointed by the Commissioner of Forestry.

Approved-The 2d day of May, A. D. 1901.

WILLIAM A. STONE.

This law was enacted mainly in the interests of the farmer. Cases were constantly coming to our notice where, owing to failure of county officers to press suits against those who had started forest fires, conviction which might have readily been secured, were never obtained and criminals were thus encouraged to continue their depredations.

To secure punishment of such criminals the law was passed. If you have suffered from forest fires, and your county officers refuse to protect you and you have evidence enough to convict, or a reasonable ground for thinking that the guilty can be apprehended and convicted, I assure you that the Department of Forestry will be glad to take up your cause. It will involve no expense to you. I urge this upon your attention. We are anxious to enforce the law and protect you. You will note, however, that before the Department of Forestry can render you this help you must request

it.

I desire to say that the Department of Forestry has in several cases sent detectives onto the ground and worked up cases against supposed criminals and reported these to the proper county officers, and that no effort whatever seems to have been made by the officials to bring to punishment those who have carelessly or maliciously caused the burning of timber lands. Burning mountain lands in order to secure crops of huckleberries in some counties is so common that people say openly that it is necessary to do this once in two years in order to secure a crop of berries. One of the largest and wealthiest counties in this State suffers annually from such deliberately created fires, and in that county almost no attempt is made to afford the citizens any protection. I am glad to say that a forest burner was recently sentenced in Franklin county to ten months imprisonment.

There is another law to which your attention is called. I give it in full as follows:

AN ACT

To encourage the preservation of forests by providing for a rebate of certain taxes levied thereon.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That in consideration of the public benefit to be derived from the retention of forest or timber trees, the owner or owners of land in this Commonwealth, having on it forest or timber trees averaging not less than fifty trees to the acre, each of said trees to measure at least eight inches in diameter at a height of six feet above the surface of the ground, with no portion of the said land absolutely cleared of the said trees, shall, upon filing with the county treasurer of their respective counties and with the tax collectors of their respective townships or districts an affidavit made by said owner or owners, or by some one in his, her or their behalf, setting forth the number of acres of timber land within the requirements of this act, be entitled to receive annually, during the period that the said trees are maintained in good condition upon the said land, a rebate equal to eighty per centum of all taxes, local and county, annually assessed and paid upon said land, or so much of the eighty per centum as shall not exceed in all the sum of forty-five cents per acre, the said rebate to be deducted from said taxes, pro rata, and receipted for by the respective tax collectors or county treasurers: Provided, however, That no one property owner shall be entitled to receive said rebate ou more than fifty acres.

Section 2. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

Approved-The 11th day of April, A. D. 1901.

WILLIAM A. STONE.

This law was passed as a substitute for the act of May 25th, 1897, in the practical operation of which unexpected difficulties were encountered.

The new law removes these troubles, and, so far as we are informed, in every case where the application for rebate of taxes has been made in accordance with the law the rebate has been obtained; but bear in mind, you must observe the provisions of the law—that you file with the county treasurer of your county and with the tax collector of your township or district an affidavit setting forth the number of acres within the requirements of this act. It will not do to file with the one officer. You must do so with both.

There is, in my judgment, one aspect of the forestry problem in