WHY DO LUMBER-MEN NOT AIM M.N 1- ORESTRY ? 



615 



from wind and insects; there is the 

 capital invested witliont a chance of 

 changing the investment. WiH. so long 

 hence, wood, or this i)articnlar kind of 

 wood he wanted in tlie market? Will 

 suhstitntes have replaced wood? What 

 will he the wood prices? Will our pres- 

 ent outlay he returned to us with proper 

 interest earnings? 



We may point to Europe and show 

 that forest property after all is on the 

 whole not necessarily so hazardous as 

 with us at present — with us it is still 

 more hazardous than any other and for 

 reasons must remain so for some time ; 

 that, in spite of substitutes, wood con- 

 sumptioii has continuously increased ; 

 that wood prices have continuously in- 

 creased ; that excellent returns have 

 come from persistent forest manage- 

 ment. 



All this occurred under other ccjndi- 

 tions of civilization, and in the past, 

 who can assure us of the future? For- 

 estry deals in futures, and if it is haz- 

 ardous to deal in futures in Wall 

 Street, so the forester owner thinks it 

 is wiser to secure the present dollar in- 

 stead of waiting for the possible two. 

 The disposition of all our people is to 

 live for the present, and the timberland 

 owner is naturally not an exception. 



This sounds altogether pessimistic. 

 It is not intended to he so, but is to 

 bring home the fact that forestry as 

 (k'lincd above is a business siii (jriwris, 

 that it can be successfully carried on 

 only under special conditions, and that 

 private, present interest is not likely to 

 enter it with ardor and persistency. 

 ( )ne of the important conditions for its 

 successful conduct — we leave out of 

 ct)nsideration the farmer's wood lot — 

 is si:;e. 



Some twenty years ago T was asked 

 whether 1 thought that forestry could 

 be profitably practised in the United 

 States at that time. 1 did not hesitate 

 to state the conditions under which, in 

 my opinion, it could be practised. Give 

 me two million acres of southern pine 

 and three million dollars of capital, and 

 it would not be dit^cult to demonstrate 

 that a real forestry practice, i. e., de- 

 liberate, systematic reproduction of the 

 cut areas will pay in the long run. 



Altogether, forestry is a business for 

 the long run, hence persistent corpor- 

 ations, municipalities, States who live 

 into the future are the proper persons 

 to engage in it. Until we wake up to 

 this realization much energy to induce 

 small forest owners to go into the busi- 

 ness will be wasted. 



HIS U'lSDOM. 



lie didn't know how to handle a rod, nor how to attach a fly ; 

 He didn't know how to catch a trout in the brook that went flowing by : 

 When he wounded a buck he didn't know whether to run or stay and tight, 

 And lie didn't know liovv to make a temporary camp at night. 



He didn't know how to tell the time by looking at the sun; 

 He didn't know how to take the shells out of a loaded gun : 

 He got so turned around he didn't know what course to take. 

 And he didn't kmuv what to do wlien lie was Ititten by a snake. 



He didn't know what it was once when he handled poison oak : 

 lie didn't know how to build a lire, nor how to conceal its smoke; 

 But he was wise — of that fact there can't be the slightest doubt. 

 When he liroke camp he knew endugh tn put the fire out! 

 Pasadena, Cal. Howakh C. Kkci.kv 



XEir YORK'S Ll'MBER IXDi'STRV. 



Xezi' York is credited ivith liariiig 2,2Ci?, lumber and timber plants, emplnyiiui an average 

 of 2 ('.471 people. The 7-aliie of the product for the year ivas placed at $7;2,.");!0.00(). There 

 Zicre 1)74 independent planin;/ mills. l.i'.S'.l litinhcr mills and 200 packinij ho.v factories. 



