FOBEST LANDS FOB THE PBOTECTION OF WATEBSHEDS. 139 



vi gin timber lands, except at very high prices, they are willing to consider the sale 

 of their cut-over lands, the lands lying too high for lumbering, and the mountain tops. 

 A careful study of the situation leads to the conclusion that most of the lands of 

 these classes can be bought at an average price of $6 per acre. 



SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. 



In the Southern Appalachians the timber lands are owned by large companies to a 

 less extent than in the White Mountains, but even here as much as 50 per cent of 

 many localities is under such ownership. ^11 



Timber-land owners in the Southern Appalachians are generally inclined to sell 

 their lands to the Government at a reasonable price, regardless of whether the lands 

 contain virgin timber or are cut over. Furthermore many of them are favorable to 

 the transfer of their lands, themselves retaining the right to cut and remove certain 

 kinds of timber above specified sizes. 



In considering the practicability of the Government's purchasing land for national 

 forests in the Southern Appalachians conference has been freely had with timber- 

 land owners, lumbermen, real estate dealers, and title examiners. Moreover, atten- 

 tion has been paid to the sales which have been made during the past two years and 

 the prices which have been paid. 



The price of virgin hard-wood land varies from $5 to $12 per acre, depending on 

 accessibility and kind and quality of timber. Cut-over lands are worth from $2 to $5 

 per acre, their value likewise depending upon their location and the condition of the 

 timber growth upon them. 



From this report, or any other information available, who can figure 

 out the probable outlay of money? No data is furnished as to the 

 number of acres of the $75 and $125 per acre land. There is no data as 

 to the number of plants. All that is known is that some of these lands 

 are valued at from $75 to $125 per acre, and that there are plants there 

 representing an investment of several hundred thousand dollars, and 

 that the value of the plants must enter into the consideration. No 

 data is given as to the number of acres of hard wood, except that there 

 is a large area. No data is given as to the number of acres of cut-over 

 land, valued at from $1 to $8 per acre, except that it is believed that 

 most of the land of these classes can be bought at an average price of 

 $6 per acre. 



Suppose the average price of all the 75,000,000 acres to be purchased 

 in this region is $20 per acre, it would mean an investment of one and 

 one-half billion dollars, an amount more than six times the cost of the 

 building of the Panama Canal, or nearly twice the amount of our 

 present interest-bearing debt, or four times the value of the total 

 annual products of the Iowa farms. 



The Secretary reports that these timber lands are in the main held 

 by a few large companies. This means large prices. Besides, the 

 Government generally pays more for what it buys and will have to 

 pay larger prices than would have to be paid by individuals in pur- 

 chasing the same lands. 



The Secretary reports that the principal owners of lands are unwill- 

 ing to dispose of their virgin timber lands, except at a very high 

 price; that the cut-over lands, lands lying too high for lumbering, 

 and the mountain tops, or, in other words, that only such lands as are 

 not needed or desired for this or any other purpose are offered for 

 sale. 



Considering the Secretary's repor-t and the fact that the purchase of 

 the 75,000,000 acres, involving an expenditure of probably over a 

 billion dollars, is probably only a small part of the land necessary to 

 be acquired, as undoubtedly enterprising and patriotic real estate 

 owners in other parts of the country would be willing to unload their 



