8 The Farm Woodlot 



similar land will furnish the data for calculating the future 

 value of the forest crop, and the conversion of these figures 

 into terms of annual revenues will make possible compari- 

 son with usual agricultural revenues. Since the forest data 

 are not based on actual results obtained on that land, a 

 margin of safety must be allowed. On the other hand, 

 the trend of lumber prices is upward and the tendency 

 toward increased cost of producing other agricultural crops 

 must be carefully studied. We find ourselves involved in 

 studies of growth, fertility, market and labor conditions. 

 This is a complicated problem, but it must be solved if we 

 are to realize the best possible returns from our land in the 

 future. 



The greater part of our land, when considered in the 

 mass, is too clearly of either one class or the other for its 

 use to be questioned. There are, however, two classes of 

 land that are near the border line, the use of which 

 must be decided by careful study : these are the farm 

 lands that are so run down as to produce little revenue or 

 that have lost out in the competition with cheaper land 

 in the West, and the undeveloped land that was originally 

 forest land and has not yet been cultivated. The dis- 

 position of these lands is very important, for its improper 

 use means a tremendous loss to individuals, and more 

 especially to the nation. 



As an example of this doubtful class, the " hill 

 lands" of New York or some of the poor farm lands of 

 New England may be considered. Some of these lands 

 have never yielded an income under tillage and should 

 never have been cleared ; others yielded a small net revenue 

 when first cleared, but have since ceased to be profitable. 



