216 ANNUAL BEPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



penditiire of $9,263,000 would fairly protect all of the privately 

 owned forest lands in the United States. The combined efforts of 

 the Federal Government, the States, and landowners to-day reach 

 $3,327,000, little more than one-third of the amount needed. 



With the present appropriation the Federal Government spends 

 less than a quarter of the amount spent by the States on this funda- 

 mental phase of reforestation. It is doubtful whether any form of 

 Federal expenditure is more valuable in assuring a future supply of 

 forest products for the country than this cooperation, with its proven 

 stimulus to increased efforts by States and by private owners. A 

 material increase in the Federal appropriation for this purpose is 

 urgently needed. 



NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



TIMBER. 



The business depression in the lumber industry, noted in last 

 year's report, passed its low point during the fiscal year, and a sharp 

 recovery was in progress at its close. As a result the national forest 

 timber receipts tor the year were more than in 1921, and, although 

 the cut for the entire year was smaller than in 1920, the cut for the 

 last quarter of the year exceeded that of the corresponding period in 

 1920 by 25,000,000 board feet. The broad trend of the national 

 forest timber business in distinction from periodic fluctuations due to 

 temporary conditions is brought out by comparing the cut under 

 sales at 5-year intervals— 68,000,000 board feet in 1905, 380,000,000 

 in 1910, 566,000,000 in 1915, and 806,000,000 in 1920. 



This increase is being accelerated by the migration of the lumber 

 industry to the West, which is going on quietly but steadily. Since 

 about 1900, when the cut in the Lake State pineries began to dwindle, 

 the South has been the chief source of lumber for the greater portion 

 of the country. Now this source of supply is failing rapidly, and 

 production in the West is increasing. For the four years 1913-1916 

 the lumber cut in the South (including the North Carolina pine 

 region) averaged over 18,425,000,000 board feet. For the four 

 years 1917-1920 theaveragewas 15,345,000,000 board feet, a shrinkage 

 of more than 15 per cent. In the West, including the Rocky 

 Mountain region, the average cut for the same periods rose from 

 8,826,000,000 to 10,522,000,000 board feet, or over 19 per cent. 

 The westward trend of the industry is illustrated by the frequent 

 opening of new mills in the West and by the recent public state- 

 ment of an officer of one of the largest lumber-producmg concerns 

 of the country that it will practically cut out its southern timber 

 in eight years. 



This change in regional lumber production means that the timber 

 on the national forests will come into increasing demand. The 

 amount of timber put under contract of sale in the fiscal year 1921, 

 mostly for future cutting, was over 2,100,000,000 board feet — more 

 than in any previous fiscal year, in spite of the business depression. 

 Instead of being undeveloped storage areas, the forests are being 

 opened up by railroads or motor-truck highways and the grown 

 timber put to use. This development must be carried out with 

 foresight to insure the permanency of the use, through permanency 

 of the resource. The cut must be regulated on the basis not only of 

 knowledge as to how much merchantable timber there is and where 



