24 ANNUAL. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ity. There lias been active, and in many respects unwliolesome, specu- 

 lation which has profited mainly the real estate agents. A heavy 

 charge, therefore, has been placed against the earnings, of the land 

 on the assumption of the continuance of war prices. The advancing 

 price of land is especially serious in the case of the undeveloped 

 regions of the country. It constitutes an obstacle to development, for 

 the actual settler is compelled to assume at the outset unduly heavy 

 interest charges. 



EXTENSION OF FORESTRY. 



The continued dissipation of privately owned forests in every 

 timber-producing region of the country is a matter of grave concern. 

 The public does not fully realize its seriousness. If the area having 

 little or no value for other than forest purposes is not protected, 

 much of it will become practically nonproductive. Millions of acres 

 in the older parts of the country where supplies of timber are needed 

 by the communities have become almost valueless. Where the land 

 is not valuable for agriculture large-scale lumbering operations are 

 followed b}^ local industrial depression, the timber industries mi- 

 grate, population decreases, farmers lose their local market, taxable 

 values decline, schools and roads deteriorate, and the economic and 

 social life of the community suffer. 



The problem presented is very difficult. Public forests are con- 

 fined to relatively limited areas, except in the West. These will 

 by no means supply the future needs of the country. At present 

 the greater part of the lumber produced annually is cut from private 

 lands on which the appearance of new growth is at best a matter 

 of accident, is likely to be long delayed, or may never occur. With- 

 out concerted action under public cooperation and direction the prob- 

 lem will not be solved. Private initiative can not be depended upon 

 to secure the requisite conservation. 



The preservation of forests in all forest regions is of immediate 

 concern and importance to farmers. Timber is an important farm 

 crop. Farm woodlands comprise about 20 per cent of the farm area 

 of the country. At the last census the value of the products from 

 them was greater than that of the potato crop and nearly double that 

 of the tobacco yield. Forestry, therefore, must be assigned a place 

 in farm management. Farmers also are vitally concerned with na- 

 tional forestry problems. They consume more wood than any other 



