222 PRIVATE FORESTRY 



2. PAST HISTORY AND TRENDS WHAT HAS BEEN 

 ACCOMPLISHED 



The practice of forestry on privately owned property is often 

 referred to as industrial forestry. Many attempts have been made 

 by private owners to perpetuate and continue the growth of timber 

 on their properties. The earliest efforts were in the direction of 

 better fire protection to prevent both current and prospective losses 

 of growing timber. Then several companies attempted conservative 

 cutting methods designed to assure the future growth of timber by 

 taking only the larger trees, by leaving seed trees, by more complete 

 and efficient utilization and by other methods intended to serve both 

 the present and future requirements of the forest-holding company. 

 Still later, several companies, particularly in the Northeast, the red- 

 wood region, and the southern pine region, established nurseries for 

 growing trees for reforestation purposes. Notable examples were the 

 Brown Company nursery at Oquossoc, Maine, the large nurseries and 

 plantations of the Great Southern Lumber Company at Bogalusa, 

 Louisiana, and the Industrial Lumber Company at Elizabeth, Louisiana, 

 and several redwood lumber companies in northwestern California. Con- 

 currently with this progressive advance, many attempts were made 

 better to control insects and diseases, especially in Maine, New York, 

 and the Lake States. Through studies conducted by the U. S. Forest 

 Service, improved methods of turpentining were introduced in the 

 longleaf pine and slash pine forests of the Southeast. Still later, many 

 companies introduced cutting methods intended to promote natural 

 regeneration and thus increase the rate of growth on a sustained yield 

 basis. The Finch Pruyn Company cuts its spruce pulpwood timber 

 to an 8-inch minimum diameter limit in the Adirondacks in New York. 

 Several companies in cooperation with the Forest Service have made 

 careful studies to determine the profitable diameter limits for cutting, 

 which is discussed later under the subject of selective logging. 



A study * was made to determine the extent of forest management 

 policies on private holdings of more than 1000 acres. This survey 

 disclosed that 268 companies were making definite efforts to grow 

 timber on over 20 million acres; 42 additional companies were giving 

 their holdings excellent care without definite timber-growing purposes 

 but where favorable opportunities existed to practice forestry. These 

 companies represent over 2 million acres. There were 178 companies 



* Conducted by a committee of the Society of American Foresters, Washing- 

 ton, D. C., under the chairmanship of S. W. Allen, 1930. More recently revised 

 .by the U. S. Forest Service. 



