day we are doing all in our power to keep pace with the apparent demand for increased facilities.

Further additions to the park during the past summer have been the following. Ten portable picnic tables, 20 portable and stationary benches, one 12 x 16 pavilion or shelter, one toilet, one tie place for horses, 3 barrels for table refuse and papers, 2 swings, 2 see-saws, 1 stove, and 1 merry-go-round. The area has been enlarged from about one half acre in the beginning to about eight acres at the present time. Aside from the Voneida spring proper, there is an additional and much larger spring which has been developed into a fish pond. This was recently stocked with about thirty extra large California trout.

The plans for the future call for the following additional facilities: Construction of a dam with a six feet breast across Four Mile Run, at the eastern end of the park; erection of additional tables and benches; the building of a new and improved fire place, so constructed that four families may cook meals at one time. Also a small camp or building for the storage of equipment during winter and for the use of the forester or caretaker during summer.

As a pure business proposition the construction of such recreation centers as I have outlined is justified by the increased land values and the stimulus given to applications for permanent forest camps alone. Aside from this we have the large indirect benefits derived from free public use. A public in touch with our work and, therefore, having some knowledge of it, cannot but be sympathetically inclined towards it, assuming it is a good thing and in the public interest.

As to the value of public use I may cite the improved road movement in this State as an example. Would it have been possible for our State Highway Department to obtain the huge appropriations it has, as well as secure the approval of the $50,000,000 bond issue, for the improvement of our roads as public utilities without the sympathy and backing of the citizens? Just as the free use and utility of roads has made the improved road movement popular, so the Forestry Department may make by like use and utility improved forests popular.

I believe every State Forest should have a recreation center, wherever it is found to be practical; and in order that the sentiment embodied in its favor, may revolve around some concrete statement of the eventual aim of the Department, I suggest the slogan, "A Park and Public Recreation Center for Every State Forest."

A. C. Silvius.

A Brief Description of the Buffalo State Forest.

T

HE Buffalo Forest is practically a solid block of State-owned land in eastern Centre and western Union counties. It is 23,326 acres in area and is almost equally divided between the two counties. The forest is triangular in shape, with one side of it facing the west, and bringing to an abrupt end the rich and well developed agricultural region, Penn's Valley. Another, the north side, adjoins the White Deer Forest throughout its entire length and ends at the forest boundary on the border of Buffalo Valley in Union county. The remaining or south side of the triangle faces and walls in Buffalo Valley on the north. It will be seen from this description that the Buffalo Forest is the mountain wall that separates Penn's from Buffalo Valley, and because of this barrier, what is practically its center line has been made the line of separation between Union and Centre counties. Only one public highway connects the above valleys, which running latitudinally cuts the forest in twain.

The mountains composing the forest are of uniform formation, being typical of the prevailing type in this region. The mountain ridges are practically parallel and run in an easterly and westerly direction. At almost regular intervals these ridges are cut into deeply by gaps, and almost every gap carries a stream of pure mountain water.

The land within the forest was originally purchased and taken up by the early settlers in Penn's and Buffalo Valleys during the years 1792 and 1794, with the exception of a few scattered tracts which were taken up about sixty years later. The price received by the Commonwealth for the great bulk of this land with all its wealth of virgin timber was 6 1/4 cents per acre. Later on, after most of it had been sold, the price was advanced to 26 2/3 cents per acre. One hundred and ten years later the Commonwealth, through its Department of Forestry, bought back this land after being cut over and frequently burned over, at an average price of $2.85 per acre. Today this same land is worth at least $6.00 per

acre.

The present growth in the forest is predominately hardwood, consisting of 40 per cent. chestnut and the remainder in the order of number of specimens, as follows: Scrub oak, white oak, maple, pitch pine, red oak, white pine, hemlock, ash, and hickory. The hardwoods are nearly all sprout growth, so it is seen that the forest is essentially coppice in character. About

three-fourths of it has been burned over in the past fifteen years, while the last fire of consequence was four years ago. These fires have produced an existing growth that represents the prevailing type, which varies from four to fifteen years in age. Aside from this, there is scattered over the forest a considerable quantity of crooked, defective "wolf" trees and near the southwestern corner of the forest a small stand of virgin hemlock, and white, pitch, and yellow (Pinus echinata) pine is found. This stand has been estimated to contain up to two million feet of merchantable timber.

The Pennsylvania Village for Feeble-Minded Women is located on this forest, about two miles north of the village of Laurelton. About 700 acres of land have been segregated and placed under its control. The village at present comprises three beautiful native sandstone buildings with a capacity of 150 patients. It is expected that several additional buildings will be erected during 1920.

Many improvements on the forest proper have been made in the past eight years, the following being a list of the more important ones:

Planted 2,235,700 forest seedlings. Repaired and constructed about 70 miles of roads, trails, and fire lanes.

Built one fire observation tower and connected it with a telephone.

Constructed seven buildings of various

types.

Opened and developed a recreation park and made several large improvement cuttings.

Brushed four miles of boundary line all of which is maintained and used as a fire lane.

Made and erected over 100 permanent forest signs.

Stumpage value of the principal timber trees of France averaged five times those prevailing in the United States. Col. W. B. Greeley says that the U. S. Army paid for maritime pine stumpage in the Landes around $26 per M. board feet. Oak timber of all grades in the Loire River Valley and in the upper watershed of the Marne averaged $36 per M. on the stump. The silver fir and the spruce in the Vosges and Jura Mountains, timber averaging 6 or 8 logs to the thousand feet, cost about $50 per M. standing, while selected piling sometimes exceeded $90 per M. These war time prices were probably 75 per cent. more than the stumpage values in 1914.

O

Miscarriage of Justice.

N March 14, 1919, a fire occurred in Delaware township, Pike county, about one and one-half miles from Dingman's Ferry, where one of the forest fire wardens, Thomas Shepherd, lives. About 1 o'clock two men of the neighborhood brought a Russian named Gustav Boderer to the home of the forest fire warden and requested that he be placed under arrest for putting fire in the woods. There was some question as to making such an arrest, so the warden called the district attorney on the telephone making inquiry in regard to the matter. The district attorney discouraged any arrest and recommended that the Russian be given a reprimand and told to leave the State. The warden was still not satisfied and called a lawyer of Milford, who practically advised the same thing. The warden then wanted to hold the man until he could communicate with the officials of the Department of Forestry, but the district attorney informed him that it was not possible for him to do so. The warden then gave the fellow a good lecture and the man promised never to start any more fires in the woods, and to leave the State.

Between March 14th and March 26th, not fewer than ten houses, cellars, and camps were broken into and clothing and food stolen, and at least a dozen fires were started in the woods. The forest fire warden laid various traps to catch the offender, and as he traveled mostly at night, it was a difficult and unsatisfactory work. However, the warden at last did catch him in the act of setting fire to the woods, and arrested him. He found on him some of the goods which had been stolen from various places. The man first denied everything, and then finally admitted that he was responsible for the above acts. He was taken to Milford, lodged in jail, and held for May court. When brought up for trial, he was discharged upon his promise to leave Pike county; and instead of being punished in any way, he was given, by some one, as he reported, carfare to Scranton whence he came.

This is a remarkable example of how the interests of Pennsylvania citizens are protected by the local legal organization which is maintained for just such protection. Pike county is mostly forest area and the progress and future welfare of the county depend upon the protection and development of its forests; and yet a foreigner may set a dozen fires and be punished merely by being sent out of the county. The forest protective organization may be never so complete and adequate, if its efforts are not sustained by