646 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



ERODKD si.oi'K, FOK.MKKI.Y III:.\VII,Y \\ OODI-D, ix WKSTKRX XORTII CAROLINA. 



the market will decrease from year to 

 year from now on. The highest aver- 

 age has been reached the forests are 

 now in the hands of actual operators 

 who of all manufacturers are forced to 

 purchase raw material for years in ad- 

 vance in order to insure a safe return 

 on the great cost of erecting mills. 

 houses, railroads, etc. There will be 

 few if any sawmills erected by new 

 companies. A number of large mills 

 will go out of commision year after 

 year because of the exhaustion of their 

 timber supply the companies now op- 

 erating will not increase their output- 

 eonsequently the life of our virgin for- 

 ests will be prolonged. Another factor 

 in prolonging the life of virgin forests 

 will be a reasonable price for lumber 

 which will enable the operator to make 

 a profit. A reasonable price for lumber 

 will enable a mill man to cut 25% more 

 timber from his lands. There will be 

 no more profit for the manufacturer 

 on the actual cut when the average 



price f.o.b. mills is $2<.(H> than when 

 the average price i^ S !.">.( HI for this 

 reason it will be more expensive to 

 save the extra 2-V^ increase in stump- 

 age which is now wasted because it can 

 not be profitably handled. The average 

 lumberman is a true conservationist. 

 ! Ie does not wish to waste any product 

 of the forest but he can not operate 

 his mills many years at a great loss. 

 So when the average price of lumber is 

 $15.00 he is forced to leave 25% of 

 very low grade lumber in the woods. 

 His average per cent of upper grades 

 is much larger on a $15.00 average than 

 it is on $20.00. A $20.00 average for 

 next three years a $25.00 average for 

 the five years thereafter and a cor- 

 responding increase from year to year 

 will enable a person to reforest his de- 

 nuded lands and grow trees at profit 

 and as a safe business investment. 



To sum it all up an average price 

 of $20.00 will enable the lumberman to 

 get 25% more lumber from his lands, 



