62 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



In some sections of our country the great question of fores- 

 try is protection against fires. The damage done by these 

 forest fires is almost incalculable. In single years, areas have 

 been burned over in the United States double in size the 

 whole state of Vermont. It is obvious, of course, that in 

 comparison with Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and other 

 portions of the country Vermont's sufferings from forest fires 

 are small. Nevertheless much damage is done even in our 

 small and broken state. Whether any means can be devised 

 to prevent this injury without creating too complicated govern- 

 ment machinery is a question I will not attempt to answer. 

 In any case, the public should be educated on the subject. 

 Individuals should appreciate the importance of keeping fires 

 properly set under control and that none be lighted when 

 there is danger of their escaping from control. 



We often hear it stated that our forest area in Vermont 

 is increasing, that we are not using our timber as fast as it 

 grows. The two statements are by no means equivalent. 

 The former statement is quite probably true. The latter I 

 seriously question. Even were both true it by no means fol- 

 lows that, as sometimes seems to be implied, we can safely 

 leave the forestry problem in this state to take care of itself. 

 The truth probably is that our forest area is not rapidly 

 changing in amount but that the character of the forest 

 cover, its economic value, is rapidly deteriorating. Instead 

 of being covered with valuable timber, much of it is mere 

 14 scrub " of a character which never will be valuable as tim- 

 ber. Nevertheless this scrub has its value and an important 

 one. I think it may be safely stated that Vermont has not 

 the absolutely vital interest in forestry which some localities 

 have. I do not believe Vermont is in any danger of becom- 

 ing a barren waste, barren and depopulated, as have some 

 localities from the destruction of their forest cover. The 

 head waters of our streams, the slopes of our mountains are 

 still largely protected by some sort of forest cover. The trou- 

 ble is, however, that our children and children's children will 

 look in vain to these sources for the supply of pine and spruce 

 our fathers found. Nor is this of slight importance. Our 

 purchases of lumber from outside will not only be greater, but 

 it seems more than probable that the price will be enormously 

 increased. It is difficult to see how this country is to escape 

 a timber famine. A few facts only can be cited. Of pine, 

 our most important timber tree, the original supply is esti- 

 mated at seven hundred billion feet. We have now left of 

 this only one hundred ten billion feet. Of all the coniferous 

 timber trees in the United States, we have now left but about 

 thirty years' supply. The east has only about a fifteen years' 



