eight to ten times as much wood as Germany and from eighteen to twenty times as much as England. In our State the forests are receiving a little protection, but not of the kind needed to prevent the loss of our trees. If our law makers had only the clear insight into the future that William Penn possessed, our Commonwealth would continue for many years to rank among the foremost as a lumber prOducng State. For he in his "Conditions and Concessions" said to such as might become adventurers and purchasers in the province : "That in clearing the ground care be taken to leave at least one acre of trees for every acre dared, especially to preserve oak and mul berry for shipping and silk." This paper bears the date of July 1, 1682, and contains the first provision in America for the pro tection of trees. Eleven years later the penalty for cutting trees upon another person's land was fixed at "five pounds for black walnut trees and fifty shillings for every tree of other timber." These statutes were not observed in subsequent grants of land, and clearings were made without restraint, as was the case in other colonies. The next legislation for the protection of our forests was made in 1735 by "An act to prevent the damages which may arise by the firing of woods." Of this act nothing remains but the title. It was supplemented, however, by one of the early legislatures in an act "imposing a fine for firing woods, not exceeding fifty dollars and not less than twenty." No more laws in this line were passed until 1824, when the act of Assembly of 1693 was discussed again. This resulted in a law declaring the cutting of trees on the lands of another a misde meanor. In this act punishment for setting woods on fire was the payment of $5OO, and imprisonment one year. This large maxi mum fine was reduced during the Civil War to sioo, while the fine for cuting another's timber was raised to $l,OOO. The removal of a boundary tree used as a landmark was also declared a mis demeanor. To further the planting of trees Governor Hoyt, in 1879, signed an act allowing an abatement of taxes to anyone who should set
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers