PRACTICABILITY OF FORESTS 281 



lute forest lands of the commonwealth, fire. The enormous damage caused by 



and that the protection and develop- fires, especially to second-growth for- 



ment of its small quota can have no ests, is not realized, even by owners, 



appreciable influence upon the timber far less by the general public. Sev- 



supply or the welfare of the people of eral years of constant agitation will be 



the state. The state's interest in the required to bring people to realize the 



forest lands which are owned by its extent of this loss and to regard young 



citizens is paramount. The forest lands timber as property, 



and the interests directly dependent 3. Adjustment of taxes so that im- 



upon forest products constitute one- mature timber will not be taxed while 



sixth of the entire taxable assets of mature timber will be taxed only once. 



North Carolina. They constitute a For these reasons the state of North 



very large and important proportion of Carolina is anxious to acquire more 



the wealth of each of the Appalachian valuable and extensive interests than 



states. it could possibly secure through acquir- 



At the present time the state's policy ing holdings in fee, by expending its 



could scarcely be directed along more entire available funds in developing its 



profitable lines than seeking to develop forest resources as a whole. The fol- 



the holdings of its citizens. Owners lowing policy is one which seems to be 



are deterred from developing their own suited to the present conditions in 



holdings largely on account of the low North Carolina, and which has been 



prices of forest products, making the generally approved by owners of forest 



returns from forest lands seem ex- lands. 



tremely small compared with those A system of fire-protection which 



from agricultural lands, while other de- will be sufficiently flexible to require 



terrent elements are the fire danger and establishment only in those townships 



time ; that is, the long period which where conditions require it should be 



must elapse before the youngest trees adopted. While fire-protection must 



will be mature and salable. eventually become a matter of purely 



The price of forest products is yet private concern, it is impossible for pri- 



fixed by the remaining supply of old vate interests to assume it so long as 



timber which has grown without cost ; low-grade timber cannot profitably be 



and cut-over and second-growth forest handled, and so long as the public is 



lands will, as a whole, not be profit- indifferent to the loss occasioned by 



able investments until the prices of forest fires. 



forest products are fixed by the cost A second measure provides for ad- 



of growing or producing them. It is vice to owners of timber lands in re- 



this condition which makes it neces- gard to methods of management, fire- 



sary to give the owner of second- protection, logging, etc. This feature 



growth forest land some assistance un- is already well established, and applica- 



til the profits from low-grade and cut- tions have been received for working 



over lands become greater. plans for 50,000 acres. The scope of 



Assistance should be along these this work is entirely advisory, and no 



lines : obligation is assumed by the owner 



1. Technical advice in regard to who receives such assistance, 

 methods of management. Very little There is a large area of waste and 

 is yet known from experience respect- gullied hillside land, totalling more than 

 ing the best methods of management, 200,000 acres, in the middle and w^est- 

 and the individual owner is seldom ern portions of North Carolina. This 

 able to pay an engineer to develop a land is objectionable in its present con- 

 system of management. Even if able dition because entirely without earning 

 and willing to do so, the owner will power. Moreover, it has a very in- 

 seldom know where to secure the help jurious effect upon streams: adding, 

 he needs. by the great rapidity of the run-off of 



2. Assistance in protection from ?torm water from it, to the height of 

 4 



