THE FLAN Or. THE VIRGINIA FOREST SERVICE FOR THE 
                    ACQUISIT'lOM AIND HAAEM     OF STATTE rORESTS 
 
                                         by 
 
                            Chapin Jones, State Forester, 
                      University of Virginia, CMarlottesville 
 
                                 September 30, 1929 
 
 
                                    INTnODUCTION 
 
           About 14,750,000 acres of land in Virginia, out of the total of

 
 25,767,680 acresp are wooded* There is an additional area of about 
 
 1,200,000 of wrtste land, Which formerly bore timber and is capable of doing

 
 so agairn The forest and waste land combined constitute about 16,000,000

 
 acres, about 62 per cent of the land area of the State. 
 
           The amount of land actually farmed is steadily decreasing, through

 
the abandonment of fields, Evidently, what use$ if any, is made of this 
 
vast area of forests and abandoned fields is of tremendous importance in

 
its bearing on the prosperity of the Stateý 
 
           The practice of forestry on this great area of forest and near-

 
forest land would make it far more productive, probably at least doubling

 
the growth of wood* To make our forests and waste and idle lands produce

 
as they can and should be made to produce is the object of the plan of 
 
the Virginia Forest Service for the acquisition by the State of areas sui-

 
table for demonstration forests. These forests are also intended for use

 
as game refuges and as public hunting and fishing grounds.  The Forest 
 
Service has been instructed by the Conservation and Develqpment Commission

 
to investigate areas suitable for these purposes, 
 
                  SOIVLE OF THEP PURPOSES OF STATE DE¶N§TRATION
FORESTS 
 
The Teaching of Frrestry 
 
           3t is considered particularly urgent that a beginniig be made
in 
 
the acquisition of a system of demonstration forests for the State* It is