its unfairness to the region and its undesirability 

 from a national point of view. 



It would seem fairer that the Southern cut-over 

 lands having the best soil be cleared and put to 

 agricultural use and that the poorer areas of Ohio, 

 Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, etc., be segregated and re- 

 turned to forestation. In other words, I would 

 distribute the cultivated and forest lands on a 

 somewhat equitable basis over the whole United 

 States and not saddle a disproportionately large 

 forest area on the South to the permanent disad- 

 vantage of the Southern States. 



The ideal thing would be a careful survey of the 

 whole United States and a classification and segre- 

 gation of lands everywhere, to the end that the 

 proper cultivated area and the proper forested 

 area should be secured, and that the agricultural 

 areas should be those best adapted for the pur- 

 pose, and the remainder devoted to forestation. 

 For some time to come this is probably out of the 

 question, but it is very unfair to the South, just 

 at this stage, to stop the old regime — to change 

 the rules of the game after the cards are dealt, as 

 it were — and say that all the lands not now under 

 cultivation which will grow trees should be con- 

 tinued as forests. 



Ability to Turn the Tide of Colonization 

 Southward. 



Assuming that the foregoing line of reasoning 

 is accepted and that it is desirable to turn the tide 

 of American colonization southward, the next 

 question is can it be done, and if so, how. 



It probably can be done, but if so, due weight 

 is to be given to the following: 



1. The population of the United States is not 

 growing as rapidly as it did some years ago — 

 speaking relatively rather than absolutely. Since 

 1914 this has been quite marked, of course because 

 of the world war. In a general way, however, this 

 country is beginning to share with France, Ger- 

 many, and the most advanced countries in the 

 world in a decreased birth rate. The birth rate 

 in Germany for example dropped 40 per thousand 

 in 1885 to 18 in 1912. This condition of affairs 

 is contrary to the general understanding as to 

 the increase of German population. 



2. Immigration will doubtless continue to this 

 country and tend to bring westward the center 



