150 Forestry Qtmrterly. 



working plan is attempted. This is necessary, since, if there is no 

 market for timber, t"here is no chance for sales. Then again, if 

 there are no sales on a forest and the Forest Service desires to 

 make some, it must study markets to find out whether sales are 

 •feasible. The character of the market, competition, etc., will have 

 a direct bearing on sales, and, therefore, upon working plans. 



Markets are of two kinds — local and export. Local markets 

 must first be considered. These ordinarily consume a very small 

 amount of the timber. Whether they are small or large, the 

 supply for local consumption must not be endangered by supply- 

 ing export markets. It is, therefore, important to make a study 

 of local markets, and to predict the local market for some time 

 in the future. If, as is generally the case, there is a large surplus 

 after the local market is satisfied, export markets must be con- 

 sidered. A study of these is of importance, since, if the products 

 of a certain forest cannot enter into direct competition in the 

 general markets with like products from other producing centers, 

 it is useless to try to make sales at the present time. On the other 

 hand, a study of markets may show a very desirable logging 

 chance and a good opportunity for a sale. The working plan 

 should, therefore, recognize the market conditions which exist. 



3. Large stands of over mature timber. It is desirable to re- 

 place the large amount of virgin and over mature stands within 

 the National Forests by young thrifty stands. For this reason it 

 is more important to sell timber even if the annual growth is 

 greatly exceeded than to hold the cut strictly to a sustained annual 

 yield. 



An additional argument for the rapid cutting of the over- 

 mature timber on the National Forests is found in the fact that 

 the timber producing area of the United States is being constantly 

 decreased. This will ultimately result in a timber shortage, which 

 will probably not come, as supposed by some, as a sudden catas- 

 trophe but in the form of a slowly diminishing supply, to which 

 the United States will adjust itself in part. This condition can 

 be met much more effectively by the National Forests with a 

 young thrifty stand of timber yielding its full annual increment 

 than with old deteriorating material. It is believed that the Na- 

 tional Forests can, by extensive cutting of over-mature timber, 

 be converted into good producers before the "pinch" is felt. 



