26 FOREST LANDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATERSHEDS. 



should have been denuded of their forests ought to be restored to 

 forests, and no more area similar to that should have the forest re- 

 moved from it. 



The CHAIRMAN. In a summary of data submitted for the use of 

 the forest section in the National Conservation Commission, as you 

 will remember, there occurs this statement: 



The eastern mountain region lies east of the Prairie States, in which the 

 planting of trees for the production of timber is of much more importance than 

 for the production of stream flow or crops. 



Do you concur in that? 



Doctor VAN HISE. I would not concur in that for this southeast- 

 ern part. It might be true, if that means the entire eastern part of 

 the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains ; that might possibly 

 be true. But as applied to this southeastern area, which is under 

 discussion, I would dissent from it altogether. 



The CHAIRMAN. This statement also occurs in this same summary : 



The Southern States contain about 12,000,000 acres upon which natural repro- 

 duction is insufficient or lacking, but ui>on which adequate fire protection will, 

 In the main, restore good forest conditions 



And talking with citizens of North Carolina and Tennessee and, 

 I may say, very enthusiastic advocates of this project they stated to 

 me personally that they found it was altogether a question of fire; 

 that if fire could be kept out of the Appalachian Mountains the 

 slopes would never become sufficiently denuded to be a menace to 

 the prosperity of the country. Do you agree with that statement? 



Doctor VAN HISE. No; not that it would altogether. If you say 

 that the factor of fire is an extremely important one on keeping this 

 clothing, I say yes, but that it would be alone sufficient to keep the 

 fire out, I would not agree to it, because the removal of these areas 

 on these slopes which have never been made into forests is another 

 factor, and out of that factor has come this great erosion, or if not the 

 greatest erosion a very large part of it. Therefore this can be ac- 

 complished by a number of things. It can be accomplished by 

 returning to forest these areas which should never have been cleared. 

 It can be accomplished by retaining in forest those areas which are 

 better adapted to the forest than for agricultural purposes, and those 

 two together, combined with the prevention of fire, will solve the 

 question. You must have the three prevention of fire, retention as 

 torests of those areas that are better adapted to forests than to agri- 

 culture, and restoration to forests of those areas which never ought 

 to have been denuded of their timber. 



The CHAIRMAN. One more question. Do you regard the statement 

 which has been presented here showing the high and low water sta- 

 tistics for such rivers as of any scientific value ? 



Doctor VAN HISE. That general statement made by the forestry 

 commission, of course, was a very large average statement. 



The CHAIRMAN. The reason I questioned the value of the statement 

 is because it covers so brief a period. 



Doctor VAN HISE. It is a very general statement, but it so happens 

 that, as to this particular southeastern problem, we have a much 

 closer study of the Tennessee. It so happens that Mr. Leighton has 

 given all his time for four months in studying the Tennessee particu- 

 larly, and I have here this summary of the results. Mr. Leighton, if 



