Appendix. 145 



only produce wood as fast as possible, but the most valuable wood 

 as well." 



One great central idea of forestry is that the crop should be equal 

 to the growth and if the principle of preservation be carried out, the 

 growth should be equal to the crop. How about the Pacific Northwest 

 in this respect? The growth has in Oregon so far been equal to the 

 crop and the amount of desti'uction of fire. I make the statement al- 

 though I expect some will take an opposite view of the situation. 



In the other Pacific States in California and Washington the growth 

 has probably equalled the crop, but not the crop and the destruction 

 by fire. 



It is plain to see that if Oregon had three hundred billion feet of 

 timber a year, and if it takes 300 years to grow an eight-foot fir tree, 

 and we cut only one billion a year, that the supply can be kept up. 



But in considering Oregon we must bear in mind that only a small 

 fraction has ever had the mature timber harvested. 



An important thing to consider in the preservation of forests by use 

 is seeding. Douglas fir, the dominant tree of the Pacific Coast, seeds 

 very rapidly, especially on burnt-over ground. There are those who con- 

 tend that it will pay financially to burn over logged lands to destroy 

 what are considered "weed trees," hemlock, yew, and western hard- 

 woods, willows, etc., are thus considered as weeds. There is a great 

 field for original investigation in determining whether these trees are 

 really detrimental or not. This is one of the reasons why I have 

 always been a strong advocate of a careful, systematic study of Oregon 

 forests by experienced forestry experts before rational and really safe 

 forest fire legislation can be enacted in this State. 



The very existence of lumbering in the future, and lumbering is the 

 second industry in Oregon to-day, and the fourth in the United States, 

 depends upon the success of our work in putting practical forestry into 

 effective operation. 



There is no doubt that the United States as a whole is utilizing its 

 forest supplies much faster than they are being produced. They can 

 be renewed and maintained by co-operation between the forester and 

 the lumberman. In fact that is what this great forestry movement 

 really means. Lumbermen are nowadays becoming foresters, because 

 they see they have to, because they see it pays. 



The tendency to-day in lumbering is to reduce waste in every direction. 

 The fii'st step in this is in the mill. Modern mills cut immense quanti- 

 ties of lumbei-, but they save what formerly was wasted. The tendency 

 to save has gone to the woods where the logs ai'e cut. Better systems 

 are being evolved to get timber out of the woods with less waste than 

 heretofore. 



The one great question which now most interests the progressive 

 lumberman is how to perpetuate their industry. 



HOK.— 10 



