Introductory. 5 



these nations is growing at the rate of li/^ to 2 per cent, 

 annually. 



4. The deficiency is at present supplied by the export 

 countries, Eussia, Sweden, Norway, Austria-Hun- 

 gary, Canada and United States, and these countries are 

 also increasing their consumption and are beginning to 

 feel the drain on their forest resources, which are for the 

 most part merely roughly exploited. 



5. If we assume a log timber requirement by the 500 

 million people of 7,500 million cubic feet and could se- 

 cure what France annually produces, namely a little less 

 than 9 cubic feet of such timber per acre, the area sup- 

 posed to be under forest would amply suffice. But a 

 large part of it is in fact withdrawn from useful produc- 

 tion and of the balance not more than 250 million acres 

 at best are under management for continuous produc- 

 tion. Hence attention to forestry is an urgent necessity 

 for every industrial nation. 



The history of the forest in all forest countries shows 

 the same periods of development. 



First hardly recognized as of value or even as personal 

 property, the attitude of the settler to the forest is of 

 necessity inimical : the need for farm and pasture leads 

 to forest destruction. 



The next stage is that of restriction in forest use and 

 protection against cattle and fire, the stage of conserva- 

 tive lumbering. Then come possitive efforts to secure 

 re-growth by fostering natural regeneration or by arti- 

 ficial planting: the practice of silviculture begins. Fi- 

 nally a management for continuity organizing existing 



