942 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



action through taxation, through the uncontrolled use of fire, and in 

 other ways that the management efforts of the forest owner are likely 

 to be in vain when the public attitude is adverse or even indifferent. 

 In the South the huge forest area and the ease of forest regeneration 

 create a situation in which cutting alone would create no immediate 

 danger of an excessively low rate of yield. Owing to the largely 

 unrestricted use of fire, however, the loss of productivity is consider- 

 able. Soil conditions over large areas are such as to permit alternative 

 use for forestry or agriculutre. Much land formerly used for agri- 

 culture has been taken over by timber. A survey of Union Parish, 

 La. (25), showed that 18 percent of the forests were old-field stands. 

 In the future there will probably be further changes from agricultural 



DOLLARS PER M FT. B.M 



I88O 



I89O 



I9OO 



1910 



I92O 



1930 



FIGURE 12. Stumpage price of southern yellow pine, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida- 

 Georgia, 1880-1931 (compiled by U.S. Forest Service from sales of 86 billion feet of privately owned tim 

 ber) . The broken line 1923-31 represents the trend during the deflation period subsequent to the World 

 War. The inclusion of data for future years may materially change this portion of the general trend. 

 In fact the slight increase of 1931 over 1930 may indicate that the upturn has commenced. Includes since 

 1900 sales of approximately 3 billion feet of second-growth pine. 



to forest use and from forest to agricultural use. It is conceivable 

 that on soils where the fertility has been impaired forest crops will be 

 grown for the definite purpose of restoring fertility needed for future 

 agricultural use. 



STUMPAGE PRICES (26) 



Based on averages for all the species and grades of southern pine 

 that were being cut commercially in the years since 1880, figure 12 

 shows graphically the price changes since 1880. It is based on 

 answers to questionnaires of the United States Forest Service since 

 1921 and on such data as were available prior to that date. 



It is interesting to observe the parallel course of price movements in 

 pine stumpage and cotton, two great southern staples. Figure 13 

 shows by price indexes based on prices of the year 1926 as 100 that 

 since 1929 second-growth pine stumpage has held up in prices better 

 than cotton. 



