Tune, 1942] University of New Hampshire 33 



would have to be used to make payments. A credit agency that could 

 make loans at a low rate of interest, requiring no payments on princi- 

 pal until returns from the forest could care for them, could make a 

 material contribution toward solving the problem. 



Production credit is being furnished by the cooperative .and 

 answers the purpose very well. This might be extended to permit 

 farmers desiring more work to purchase stumpage for operating dur- 

 ing slack periods. At present, many find such a procedure impossible 

 due to lack of sufficient funds. 



SUMMARY 



In the past farm people in northern Coos County have found sea- 

 sonal employment in the forests. More recently conditions have 

 changed, making it difficult for a number of these people to utilize 

 fully their labor and equipment. By reorganization of their farm 

 business many farmers could make greater use of resources and obtain 

 a higher income over a period of years. Possibilities include produc- 

 tion of more home grown feed, better pastures, raising more dairy 

 herd replacements for sale, better livestock and woodland manage- 

 ment and accjuisition of more sufficient woodland acreage. The bet- 

 ter management of woodlands and livestock seem to ofi^er the great- 

 est promise. 



Approximately 80 percent of the farmers in the area have suffi- 

 cient woodland to develop a profitable timber enterprise. By adopt- 

 ing a plan of woodland management on these farms it is reasonable 

 to expect that annual growth can be increased three to four times 

 over the present rate, which is quite low. With few exceptions, this 

 increased production can be brought about with little or no additional 

 out-of-pocket cost to the farmer. Thus it should be reflected directly 

 in net farm income. The data on farms analyzed indicate that net 

 income from managed woodlands would normally represent one-fourth 

 to one-half the total net farm income. At present it represents a 

 much smaller proportion. During the period 1935-40 inclusive, only 

 about four percent of the farms studied received 50 percent of their 

 total income from sale of farm forest"" products in the area. Over the 

 same. period, 41 percent made no sales of forest products. 



The Forest Products Association, by furnishing certain services 

 such as supervision and contracting with non-farm owners to carry 

 on logging, could assist farmer members in securing seasonal employ- 

 ment until such time as they have something to market from their 

 own lands. To bring about the desired adjustments in woodland 

 acreage, some sort of long term credit is likely to be essential. 



About 12 percent of the farms in the area do not have sufficient 

 acreage of woodland to provide a significant contribution from this 

 source. Another nine percent, because of the condition of growing 

 stocks, will realize little cash income from sale of forest products for 

 a number of years. The solution to their problem appears to be for 

 the farmers either to buy land with some timber, buy stumpage for 



