WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT IN FOREST PRODUCTS 407 



principles requires the assistance and development of new uses of wood will 



cooperation of all those interested in bring into the market species and 



theni in a practical way. grades not before merchantable. The 



There has been a most gratifying co- uses of wood for by-products will re- 

 operation with the Forest Service by duce waste and enable the lumberman 

 the different railroads, lumber com- to use material now frequently left in 

 panics, paper companies, woodworking the woods or wasted at the mill. The 

 concerns, and trade associations. I wish extension of the use of treated timber 

 to take this occasion to express the ap- will enable the marketing of the less 

 preciation of the Forest Service for this valuable species for uses now requiring 

 cooperation and assistance. the most valuable. There will thus be 



From the standpoint of conservation, a constant tendency to extend the mar- 

 the work of the government in forest ket and to decrease the loss in utiliza- 

 products is of great importance. When tion all along the line from the stump 

 one examines the losses in the utiliza- to the manufactured product, 

 tion of wood products, one finds that There are, however, other factors in- 

 these begin in the woods. Many species fluencing the market which will not be 

 are not cut at all ; often the trees left directly touched by the investigations 

 uncut deteriorate rapidly, or are blown at the laboratory. These factors must 

 over, or are injured in logging; fre- not be overlooked in the consideration 

 quently long tops containing a large of the relation of the market for forest 

 amount of low-grade lumber are left in products to conservation. Problems 

 the woods; and many logs only partially connected with the methods of logging 

 defective remain on the ground. The and manufacture of lumber, grades and 

 cause of this seeming waste is the con- sizes of lumber, rates for low-grade 

 dition of the market. The lumberman lumber, the car-stake question, etc., con- 

 seeks to take out only what he can dis- cern conservation. In some of these 

 pose of at a profit. It is to his own in- problems, the Forest Service can be of 

 terest to take out of the woods just as assistance through its work of products, 

 much as he can possibly utilize, because One of the most serious problems, 

 every increase in amount of marketable however, in the whole realm of forest 

 material removed reduces the cost of conservation is that of over-production 

 production and increases profits. The of lumber. In some sections of the 

 amount of waste in the woods is there- country more .lumber is being manuf ac- 

 fore definitely governed by market con- tured than is needed. There is, in con- 

 ditions. In exactly the same way it is sequence, a poor market for the lower 

 the condition of the market which grades and a great deal of waste in the 

 causes a great loss in the manufacture woods and at the mill. From the 

 of lumber. Close utilization follows standpoint of conservation, the condi- 

 good markets. tion would not be so serious if the for- 



It is the market, also, which most ests were being replaced after cutting, 



powerfully influences the problem of But the conditions which lead to waste 



forest production. The better the in utilization prevent, also, the practice 



market, the greater is the value of the of forestry. There is, then, a double 



timber; an improved market means a loss waste of the present resources 



correspondingly increased inducement and prevention of the production of 



to protect the forests from fire ; there new resources. 



is an increased value of immature and I doubt if this situation can be met 

 young growth ; and a correspondingly at once or by the application of any one 

 greater justification for investments in remedy. It is clear to my mind, how- 

 holding and protecting cut-over lands ever, that in this case, as in other con- 

 for the production of new stands of servation problems, there must be some 

 timber. present public investment for the fu- 



The work of the Forest Service in ture welfare of the country. This in- 



products will have a direct influence in vestment will take two forms : First, an 



the long run on market conditions. The increased price of products which must 



