June, 1942] University of New Hampshire 21 



could be used in annual harvesting. Until such time, employment 

 opportunities on these areas would be limited. Certain cultural opera- 

 tions such as weedings, thinnings and improvement cuttings during 

 the transition period would furnish an outlet for some labor and yield 

 fuelwood for home use and for sale. In some cases, a limited quantity 

 of industrial material may be removed to improve future composition 

 or growth. Substantial returns in cash will necessarily be delayed 

 until growing stocks have been sufficiently built up to permit logging. 



During this build-up period, these farmers could relate them- 

 selves to near-by forest resources of non-farmers who have material 

 to market. There are a number of such woodlots scattered through- 

 out the three towns which at present support merchantable timber. 

 The majority of the owners do not desire to do the logging themselves 

 and may find it necessary to hire supervision to look after their inter- 

 ests while the operation is in progress. Others prefer to sell the 

 stumpage, relieving themselves of all responsibility except to check 

 the scaling of the wood. Such holdings can and do offer seasonal 

 employment to local people. If properly managed, they can continue 

 to do so indefinitely, provided, of course, that they are not damaged 

 by fire or some other destructive agent. 



A third group of farmers are those having small woodland acreage 

 who, regardless of intensity of management, would find it impossible 

 to produce enough to make a material contribution to farm income. 



Over a short period, a satisfactory solution to the problem of 

 this group might be reached through employment in the woodlands of 

 others. At best, however, this would be only a makeshift arrange- 

 ment because they would have no control over the management or 

 cutting practices. They would always be subject to the will of others 

 and unless the owner desired to keep his lands productive and make 

 frequent cuttings, employment Avould be at irregular intervals on any 

 particular holding. Inasmuch as farm operators must find work near 

 home in order to carry on other farm enterprises, the number of hold- 

 ings accessible to them is limited and future employment opportuni- 

 ties rather uncertain. 



From a long range viewpoint, they might do w^ell to consider 

 obtaining control of additional woodland. Ownership would permit 

 a continuity of policy with regard to^the management of these lands 

 best suited to meet the needs of each individual. The ownership pat- 

 tern is such that in much of the area forest land owned by non-farmers 

 is in proximity to operated farms. In the short period of one year or 

 less since property maps were completed for the three towns, manv 

 changes in ownership have taken place. The fact that timberlots are 

 continually changing hands indicates that there is land for sale at a 

 ])rice prospective owners are willing to pay. Information obtained 

 from local residents suggests that it may not be possible to purchase 

 advantageously in any particular year, but over a period of a few 

 years the situation would change. If a farmer needs additional wood- 

 land to make his farm more nearly an economic unit, he would be able 

 to buy it at a price economically feasible. In the past most of this 

 land has been bought by people for investment or speculation. There 



