June, 1942] 



University of New Hampshire 



work in the woods. Some of the reasons given were preference for 

 other types of non-farm work, time already fully utilized with chores 

 on the farm, and in some cases inability to do woods work. Had these 

 people been interviewed at a time when higher prices for forest prod- 

 ucts prevailed, the number would likely have been much less. 



A check of unemployment in the villages emphasizes the fact 

 that the problem is not confined to farm people. It is, however, some- 

 what different in at least one respect. Whereas the farm people 

 operate with less than full employment for only short periods and a 

 large number are affected, a few non-farm people are in need of full 

 time employment. Besides these, a few others need work during 

 winter when other activity is at a minimum. 



Obviously not all of these people in need of additional employ- 

 ment are interested in woods work. However, an opportunity for this 

 type of work would alleviate the situation in the majority of instances. 

 Out of a total of nearly 29,000 man days for which no gainful employ- 

 ment can be found in a normal year, about 21,500 man days could be 

 used in the woods (See Table 1). These figures are based on informa- 

 tion secured directly from the individuals concerned. 



Table 1. Estimated number of man days farm people and townspeople have 

 available by seasons during normal year for woods work and other work. 



PRESENT STATUS OF FOREST LAND 



OWNERSHIP 



There are 64,842 acres of woodland in the three towns. For the 

 purposes of this study the woodland may be divided roughly into 

 three classes: (1) farmer-owned land related to operated farms, 

 29,721 acres; (2) land not attached to farms but held by individuals 

 or groups of individuals in small lots, 20,973 acres ; and (3) corporate 

 holdings, largely wildlands, owned by pulp and lumber companies, 

 14,148 acres. Although about 46 percent of all the woodland in the 

 area is owned by farmers and more than half that individually owned 

 is in farms, the ownership pattern varies somewhat among towns. 

 For instance, most woodland in Colebrook is either farmer-owned or 

 farmer-rented. Location with respect to market for farm products, 

 good year-round roads, topography, and similar factors have contrib- 

 uted to this condition. In Stewartstowai and Columbia there are 



