338 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Other areas show larger percentages of beech, birch, and maple, 

 replacing the oak and chestnut.^ So completely are these areas filling 

 up that the reports of the Pennsylvania foresters are more and more 

 optimistic as to the future of the region/ The least promising areas 

 are certain upper slopes where hardwoods were not originally present. 



The spread of oak and other hardwoods over this area is a most 

 striking phenomenon and one deserving of further investigation. The 

 virgin forest at present being lumbered on land similar to that on which 

 the preceding plots were taken, and not far removed, contains the fol- 

 lowing species : Hemlock, 92 per cent ; oak and chestnut, 5.9 per cent ; 

 beech, birch, and maple, 1.3 per cent, and pine, .8 per cent. Based on 

 the 19 1 7 cut to date, oak and chestnut have increased to 12 per cent.® 



Any reforestation policy must take into consideration the present and 

 future economic possibilities as well as silvical conditions. The eco- 

 nomic status of the central mountainous section is by far more prom- 

 ising than that of the northern plateau region. Here the agricultural 

 and industrial needs are effecting a constant improvement in market 

 conditions. As the forests occupy parallel ridges, with intervening 

 agricultural valleys traversed by railroads, most of them are within 

 easy hauling distance of a railroad siding. At present the salvage of 

 the dying chestnut obscures this development. Further, as yet, 90 per 

 cent of the imported timber comes from the South and East and only 

 10 per cent from the Pacific coast. Greeley says: ". . . the handicap 

 of high freights in reaching the American markets will tend to restrict 

 imports of foreign timber largely to hardwoods and special products." * 

 Observation in the Rhine timber markets shows that the competition is 

 most severe in large-sized products brought in by water freight. Yellow 

 poplar at Carlsruhe was cheaper than Black Forest fir; but hardwood 

 firewood from the coppice forests along the river brought a very high 

 price. There is evidence of the same tendency in this region. On the 

 Mont Alto Forest the receipts, largely for small stuff, were $2,600 in 

 1917, as compared with $1,300 in 1914. Operations on the Nittany, 

 Caledonia, and Pine Grove forests point to the same conclusion. 



Conditions are very different in the northern part of the State. This 

 section is sparsely inhabited ; the population is decreasing. Railroads 

 are being torn up instead of built. Once prosperous villages are gone 

 or are represented only by the houses of a few hunters or farmers. 



* Data furnished by Foresters Harbeson and Morgan, of the Blackwells and 

 Slate Run State Forests. 



' Pennsylvania Forestry Report, 1912-1913, and foresters' manuscript reports. 



* Cut of Leetonia mill for 1916 and 1917, secured by Forester Harbeson. 



* Greeley, Wm. B. : "Some Public and Economic Aspects of the Lumber In- 

 dustry,"' p. 52. 



