A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 867 



be left in possession of nonproductive, defective western hemlock 

 and white fir. It is estimated that one third to one half of the 

 private timber lands cut over annually is so logged as to impair the 

 quality, character, and value of the coming crop. 



In the South, many thousands of acres of pinelands are deficient 

 in stocking because of failure to leave sufficient seed trees. Skidder 

 logging of old growth longleaf stands leaves few trees either good or 

 poor. Slash fires complete the destruction, and seedlings surviving 

 are often destroyed by hogs. 



The mixed shortleaf, loblolly, and hardwood stands of the upper 

 coastal plain and lower piedmont, particularly in Alabama, Mississippi 

 Louisiana, and Arkansas, have been subjected to a series of cuttings 

 which in many stands removed first the pine sawtimber, later the 

 pine poles, and finally the pine pulpwood. The remaining stand 

 consists of poor and defective hardwoods, chiefly low grade oak, gum, 

 etc., and is of little value. Reproduction of the pine is hindered by 

 hardwoods which rapidly .occupy the Aground following cutting. 

 Over many thousand acres the productive capacity of the land is 

 reduced to a fraction of its possibilities. 



The pulp industry, although of relatively recent origin in the South, 

 is already responsible for the premature cutting of considerable areas 

 of young growth. Such stands are destroyed at the beginning of the 

 period of greatest production of values, leaving the forest owner 

 practically no return for the use of his property. ^ If, on the other 

 hand, material suitable for pulp were removed in thinnings, the 

 stand would be greatly benefited and the owner would be compensated 

 by the production of higher priced material to be cut later. 



CONCLUSION 



As a result of present cutting methods and fire, the growing stock 

 on more than 850,000 acres is destroyed completely each year, and 

 at least 36 million acres are subject to deterioration in quantity and 

 quality of yield. Out of a total of 495 million acres of commercial 

 forest land, not less than 275 million acres which have been cut over 

 one or more times are producing only a fraction of their normal capac- 

 ity. Indications are that current devastation may be offset by the 

 establishment of new forests on areas long ago devastated, but the 

 loss from deterioration can only be compensated as silvicultural prac- 

 tice and fire protection are extended and intensified on forest areas in 

 all regions. 



Deterioration is far more important than devastation. ^ The almost 

 universal abandonment of cut-over land to harmful influences, or 

 further mistreatment, is resulting in lowered or complete loss of 

 recoverable values over a much larger area than is devastated out- 

 right. Heavy cutting on critical sites, culling out of the valuable 

 species, ignoring sanitation, no regard for reproduction or for uncut 

 trees, no attention to growth, neglect of slash, inadequate protection 

 against fires these are handicaps no land can overcome unaided and 

 produce good timber in paying quantities in reasonable time. The 

 losses from reduced yields and long-deferred yields over very large 

 areas will far exceed the loss over much smaller areas from complete 

 devastation. Forests of partial stands, forests of inferior and defec- 

 tive species, can never be depended on to supply the demands for 



