. Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters), no. 51-55. Forests and forestry. SUMMARY (1) Pennsylvania has upward of four million acres that are no^v practically idle, or about one-seventh of the whole State area. Of this, over two million acres are idle cleared farm land. (2) This idle land, coupled with poor land now farmed at a loss, is causing a rapid increase of tax delinquency and tax sales. "Idle lands pay no ; (3j Agricvdture is over-developed. We grow more farm cro])s than the market can absorb, except at '"dumping ; (4) Forest consumpti
. Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters), no. 51-55. Forests and forestry. SUMMARY (1) Pennsylvania has upward of four million acres that are no^v practically idle, or about one-seventh of the whole State area. Of this, over two million acres are idle cleared farm land. (2) This idle land, coupled with poor land now farmed at a loss, is causing a rapid increase of tax delinquency and tax sales. "Idle lands pay no ; (3j Agricvdture is over-developed. We grow more farm cro])s than the market can absorb, except at '"dumping ; (4) Forest consumption still outruns forest growth by over 40 per cent in the United States. In Pennsylvania alone we grow less than 16 per cent of our lumber used. We import from other sections about $100,000,000 worth of forest products during normal years. (5) Rojoresting Pennsylvania s idle land is a self-liquidating public work, it is the duty of the State to assume the leadership in reforesting this idle land. Twenty-five thousand acres should be purchased and 15,000 acres planted to forest trees during the next biennium. In succeeding bienniums this program should be doubled, as planting stock would then be available. (6) Counties and municipalities should be encouraged to take part in the movement by a 50 per cent contribution from the State. (7) The first biennium wouhl require an appropriation of $294,000 for State purchase and reforestation of idle land. To this should be added $100,000 for county and municipal aid re- forestation projects. (8) At least half of the expenditure, and possibly two-thirds (de- pending on the cost of lands), would go dierctly into emergency labor. The rest would represent land purchase. (9j This policy would in years to come support some of our pres- ent industries, and ultimately bring back some that we have lost. With a small initial investment of not over $12 per acre and an annual cost of 20c. per acre, a capital value of SlOO to $300 per acre would be b
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