WOODLOT FORESTRY 



For the Instruction of Owners of Farms and Country Estates 



By R. ROSENBLUTH, M. F., 

 Director of Forest I nvesti gallons New York State Conservation Commission 



THE woodlots of the farms and 209,481,022 acres (23.8%) unimproved 



country estates have, for the land, 



most part, been treated with 878,798,325 acres (100%) in farms. 



mistreatment . Studies show a conservative estimate 



Neglect and abuse have been the of the amount of unimproved land in 



keynotes by which the owners have farms, which is best suited to forest 



been guided in managing this valuable productions, to be at least 70,000,000 



resource. Even the progressive farmers acres; which, in connection with the 



of the coimtry who pride themselves on area now in woodland, makes a total of 



crop rotation, intensive methods, alert- 261,000,000 acres, or 30 per cent of the 



ness and business on the rest of their land holdings in farms best adapted to 



farm, are following the old careless, if forest growth. This total area is held 



not ruinous, methods in their woodlots. in comparatively small holdings, on 



While the percentage of improved which all necessary work can be done 



land on the farms has remained about by the permanent labor force at times 



the same from 1880 to the present, the when it cannot be otherwise profitably 



amount of unimproved land has more employed. 



than doubled and the woodlots have de- Conditions thus are ideal for intensive 



creased about one-third — in other words, management of this great forest area, 



not only have the woodlots themselves At present it represents one of the 



deteriorated in condition, but a large least intelligently used assets of the 



area has been actually destroyed and nation, 



made worthless, nonproductive land. The total value of the forest product 



To point out the importance and of farms is $195,306,283, or roughly 

 value of the woodlots to the nation and $1.00 per year per acre of farm woodlot. 

 the individual owners; to stimulate the Under intelligent and intensive man- 

 owners to the practice of forestry in agement the owners should earn from 

 their woodlots, securing for themselves these areas a fair share of the farm 

 and to the nation the many benefits and revenue, where now they produce almost 

 great profits which well-managed wood- nothing. This profit in money value 

 lands yield ; and to point out clearly and should net about $500,000,000 a year 

 simply the principles and methods of and prduce for the industries of the 

 correct forest practice — these are the nation between seventy-five and eighty 

 aims of this bulletin. billion board feet of lumber each year. 



To the owner, the value of this wood- 



IMPORTANCE OF WOODLOTS. i j • a c t *. 



land IS made up oi many factors. 



The woodlots of the nation represent, The most common products are lum- 



in the aggregate, an enormous source ber, poles, ties, fence posts and firewood, 



of natural wealth. Besides these, many special uses may 



Statistic show that of the 1,903,289,- be had in different localities, such as 



600 acres net land area in this country, pulpwood, implement wood, etc. There 



878,798,325 acres are in farms. Of this are also m ny special products which 



farm area we find : may be developed — thus, gathering seed 



478,451,750 acres (54.4%) improved of desirable species often will yield a 



land. good profit. The value of these pro- 



190,865,553 acres (21.7%) woodlots. ducts is sufficient, under good manage- 



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