263] An American Forest Administration. 79 



There are some localities in the United States, and 

 some conditions where even now forest management 

 from private considerations is practicable, /. ?., pro- 

 fitable, namely, such as are situated with reference 

 to the markets favorably enough to be able, in spite 

 of the increased cost of management, to compete 

 with the virgin supplies shipped from more distant 

 resources, and where densit}' of population permits 

 a fuller profitable utilization of inferior material. 



For instance in the Adirondack region, with large, 

 compact holdings, tolerably well stocked and easily 

 made accessible to market, it could be shown that 

 increased profits would result from rational forest 

 management. 



Some minor difficulties which would have to be 

 overcome in introducing private forest management, 

 among which the momentum of habit is perhaps the 

 greatest, I may not discuss here. 



While, then, the introduction of private forest 

 management, which is based upon considerations of 

 profit, depends almost entirely upon the progress of 

 general development, which we cannot control, there 

 are communal interests involved in the management 

 of certain parts, at least, of the forest areas which 

 make it necessary to weigh considerations of present 

 as against future and continued advantages; to weigh 

 direct value as against indirect value, of the forest 

 resources. 



It has been shown, over and over again, that one 

 incontrovertible influence of forest cover exists, 

 namely, upon the regularity of water-flow and soil 

 conditions of mountainous territory; that, therefore, 

 in such territory utilization of existing forest re- 

 sources must be carried on in such a manner that the 



