THE FARMER AND HIS WOODLOT 39 



THE FARMER AND HIS WOODLOT 



Of the 469,000,000 acres of forested and denuded forest land in 

 the United States, approximately 150,000,000 acres are in farm 

 woodlots. This proportion of nearly one-third of the actual and 

 potential forest area in the hands of farmers shows the vital necessity 

 of these areas being managed so as to return the maximum to the 

 owner and to contribute as largely as possible to the solution of the 

 problem of future timber supply. 



Because of his permanency and his interest in the land, the 

 farmer should be in the forefront of timber growers. In the wood- 

 producing acres of his farm, or the acres that are more fitted for 

 trees than crops, he has a profitable asset. They can or should 

 supply his own demands for timber as well as some of the local 

 demand. They do or should constitute a profitable adjunct to his agri- 

 cultural efforts. 



The average farmer is not a forester. He does not need to be. 

 But to get the maximum return from his woodlot he must know cer- 

 tain fundamentals of forestry; what trees to cut, what trees to grow, 

 how to govern his cutting, what care and protection is necessary 

 and other details. He needs advice concerning the management of 

 his farm forest in order that it may be a source of continuing profit 

 and supply. 



Providing the farmer with this advice is a practically new phase 

 of forestry work. It has been done in a more or less desultory 

 fashion for perhaps fifteen years. Within the last two years, how- 

 ever, it has been taking definite form and is now in a state of de- 

 velopment and change. With varying degrees of intensiveness, 

 education of landowners in timber growing is being carried on by 

 State Departments and universities in 32 states. To a limited extent 

 it is being aided by the farm extension service of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture and by the Forest Service. 



Covering 10 of the northeastern states a national forest extension 

 committee has been organized to further this work as an extension 

 service of the different agricultural colleges. This activity enlists 

 the services of expert foresters, whose service is largely educational 

 showing the farmer how to value his woodlot, how to sustain it 

 and how to market its products. 

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