FOREST SERVICE. 383 



from the market and could not be removed witliout great sacrifice 

 in price, and usuall}'' bv sacrifice at the same time of timber which is 

 thrifty and whicli ought to be left for cutting at a later period. 



The timber-selling policy is based on principles of broad public 

 economy. The timber is sold when there is real demand for it. 

 Sales are not forced merely in order to secure revenue for the Govern- 

 ment. When there is a demand for National Forest timber which 

 should be cut, a fair minimum price is fixed and the timber is offered 

 ' at public sale. Aai attempt to force sales is made only when timber 

 has been killed by fire or is threatened by insect attack. Low prices 

 are then accepted to bring about utilization before the timber becomes 

 altogether worthless. A large amount of dead standing timber on 

 the lands which were burned over in the great fires of the season of 

 '1910 will be offered for sale during the coming j^ear. 



As yet the annual sales are far below the annual growth. It is the 

 purpose not to sell more timber each 3'ear than is grown. Further, 

 since it would not be proper to exhaust the Forests of one region 

 because there is an abundant reserve supply in another region, the 

 design is to maintain continuous local supplies. The output in a 

 given region is therefore restricted to the actual production in that 

 region. Usually each Forest is handled as a single unit, and the 

 annual cut restricted to the growth on that Forest. Occasionally, 

 as when there have been severe fires and a large amount of timber 

 killed, there may be sold in a single 3^ear on a given Forest consider- 

 a])ly more than is produced b}^ growth. 



At the beginning of each fiscal year the maximum amount of 

 timber which can l)e cut from each Forest during the year is fixed by 

 the Secretary of Agriculture. This amount can not be exceeded 

 without his express authority. Since the estimates of growth have 

 so far been necessarily rough approximations, care has been taken 

 to have the cutting conservative. 



In the majority of sales so far made, natural reproduction is relied 

 upon to restock the cut-over areas; but in some instances, where 

 satisfactory natural reproduction can not be secured, artificial 

 restocking by ])lanting or reseeding is resorted to. 



The methods of cutting necessarily vary greatly. Xo single 

 method is applicable to all Forests, In any given case the method 

 used must depend not only on the composition and character of the 

 Forest, but also on the logging conditions. 



In many Forests trees of all ages are mingled together, individually 

 or by groups — old mature trees, thrifty trees of immature age, 

 young saplings, and small seedlings. Under such conditions the 

 old trees are selected here and there, while the trees not yet mature 

 are carefully protected and left as a basis for a later cutting. The 

 trees left are capable of distributing seed over the openings made by 

 the lumbering, and reproduction is thus secured. This is called the 

 selection system. Each tree which is to be removed is selected and 

 marked by a l^\)rest oflicer. In the contract for cutting there are 

 provisions for the complete utilization of the trees which are cut, for 

 the protection of the trees left standing and of young growth, for the 

 dis[H)sal of the slash made in the lumbering, and in various other 

 particulars for the |)rotection of the interests of the Government and 

 the welfare of the Forest. 



