Report Volume 4-7 1918-1926

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 Excerpt: ...in developing systematic plans for planting commercial trees and ornamentals along our many highways. This advisory service can be obtained free of charge upon application to the department. Nurseries Although 80' i of the idle cut-over lands contain seed trees and are able to reproduce readily there are many hundreds of acres that are denuded of all trees and not able to reseed naturally. The department, in cooperation with several land owners, has established nurseries and will have young seedlings for distribution at cost this Fall. In addition, the department has on hand for sale about 1,000 pounds of longleaf seed. Through this system of nurseries and seed collection the plans of the department are for the development and gradual planting through artificial methods the barren lands that exist throughout the State. Summary The history of Louisiana shows that in the past 2 50 years of occupation and colonization 5,000,000 acres of land have been developed for agricultural purposes. The greater percent of these lands he in the rich alluvial belt which is acknowledged to be the most fertile soil in the United States; many farms are also scattered throughout the piney woods that are fertile and bearing good crops. The problem of Louisiana today is not a question of the development of agricultural lands but the disposition of the 1 3,650,000 acres of idle lands that are on hand. It has taken the State 250 years to develop its richest lands and it is an assured fact that the vast acreage on hand now cannot and will not be developed for the next 50 years or more. Idle acres cannot produce revenue if not given thought and development. It is, therefore, the policy of the forestry division to educate the land owners and teach them in developing a timber crop on t...