FUNDAMENTAL SILVICULTURAL MEASURES NECES- 

 SARY TO INSURE FOREST LANDS REMAINING 

 REASONABLY PRODUCTIVE AFTER 

 LOGGING 1 



By Hugh P. Baker and Edward F. McCarthy 



Not since the first efforts to define a silvicultural practice for the 

 forests of North America were begun by Dr. Fernow, Professor Roth. 

 Colonel Graves, and others, has the question as to what is good silvi- 

 cultural practice for our eastern forests been as important as it is 

 in these days of reconstruction. The leading lumber and forestry 

 journals of yesterday and today tell us of the cutting of the southern 

 pine forests at the rate of 50,000 acres per day, of efforts being made 

 by the lumber industry of the country to take care of increased pro- 

 duction by seeking a foreign market, of great fires in the Northwest 

 destroying valuable timberlands over extensive areas, and over against 

 these things and much nearer home to us is the rapid increase in the 

 cost of production and market price of practically every product of 

 the forest. Just behind these conditions of today is the evidence 

 of the value of forests in a national crisis. Can we doubt that the 

 forests of France, of the United States, and even of England and 

 Spain, were vital factors in the winning of the war by the associated 

 governments ? The place the forests of the world played in the Great 

 War and the vital need of forests and forestry in the industries and 

 in the life of the nation are responsible for the agitation started by the 

 United States Forest Service for more definite forest policies and 

 especially for right policies in the development of private forestry. 



In the literature put out by the U. S. Forest Service in which it 

 seeks the interest and assistance of all interested in the forests that 

 we may have a sound forest policy for the future in this country, the 

 basic statement made is that it is obligatory upon the timberland owner 

 as well as the State and Nation to see that forest lands are kept in a 

 productive condition. It will be unfortunate if in the propaganda 

 carried on for the development of private forestry, right methods of 



1 Delivered before the New York Section of the Society of American For- 

 esters, at Wanakena, N. Y., July 29-31, 1919. 



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