18 X- H. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 319 



shire. WOodlaud acreage in the area studied totals 223,000, of which 

 approximately 52.000 acres sui)ported merchantable timber. 



Total stand of merchantable timber approximated 260 million 

 board feet. For the next few years, the annual cut on a sustained 

 \ ield basis will be about 5 million board feet. 



Present market outlets take aliout 6 million board feet annually. 

 Some 3.5 million of this goes to more or less permanent industries, 

 and the remainder is handled by portable mills. Plant capacities 

 bear little relation to the amount of timber cut by particular indus- 

 tries. In general, effective jilant ca]iacitics are far in excess of an- 

 nual consumption. 



Comparing the average annual cut in recent years w ith that esti- 

 mated to be allowable on a sustained yield basis, it was found that, 

 except for hardwood, the present cut exceeds the increment of mer- 

 chantable timber. 



Stumpag'e prices have ranged all the way from $1.50 ])er th(_)usand 

 for low grade or relatively inaccessible hardwood to $5.00 and over 

 for especially desirable piue and s])ruce. 



Log prices have fluctuated considerably over the past fifteen years. 

 Starting at $18 a thousand in 1924 the}- reached a peak of $20 in 1927 

 and then declined, first gradually, then rapidly until 1932. From 

 this ]K)int to the present except for a slight rise in 1937 they have 

 remained at $10. 



Transportation charges have ranged upward from $1 a thousand 

 minimum and tend to vary with distance rather than value of prod- 

 uct. 



It api^ears that during the intermediate time period considered the 

 area is well su])plied with wood-using industries. These industries 

 have ample capacity to take care of a normal production. 



Farm income from the sale of woodland products was aliout $30.- 

 000 in 1929. This income could be increased by making more ef- 

 ficient the assembling and sale of forest products, increasing the 

 labor income by the owner himself doing more of the logging and 

 assembling operations and adojiting improved production practices. 



Cooperation offers oi-)i)()rtunities for increased farm income from 

 marketing forest products in the area. A large jiroportion of the 

 woodland containing merchantable timber was found to be in the 

 hands of ]iersf)ns favoral)le to cooperative effort. .Another fair-sizi'd 

 portion was controlled l)y those indiftercnt. and only a small amoiuu 

 was in the hands of persons definitely antagonistic to coo])eration in 

 this field. Directions in which cooperative effort might be most suc- 

 cessful are: asscml)ling sawlogs. keejiing in touch ^\•ith markets and 

 market conditions, bargaining as a unit for members, anrl iierhajis 

 assistance to members in forest management. As the annual busi- 

 ness of a cooperative which confines its activities to marketing for- 

 est jiroducts would be in the neighborhood of $40,000. oitcrating 

 expenses should be less than $4,000. an amount probably insufticient 

 to maintain an organization and a manager on a full-time basis. 

 There are already ample processing facilities located in the area. 



(Banhhrnrl-Jofirf^ Fnnd) 



