30 PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN 



ing, fencing or spraying. Suppose further that the public 

 should also destroy a large portion of the orchards, as the 

 forests are by fire, and also overtax the land so as to com- 

 plete the discouragement. Clearly apples would immediately 

 go up. A few growers would doubtless escape absolute de- 

 struction and these, as long as their orchards lasted, would 

 demand a price overbalancing many times the saving the con- 

 sumer made temporarily while he was destroying the indus- 

 try. Everyone concerned would be worse off than if prices 

 had remained just high enough to maintain an adequate sup- 

 ply- 



It is improbable, however, that the consumer will ever 

 voluntarily pay more than he has to, even if it is to his 

 ultimate advantage. The most that can be hoped is that as 

 the public at large comes to understand the situation, it will 

 not support him in the claim that injustice is being done by 

 the rises he is forced to meet as conditions adjust themselves. 

 His reluctance will retard, but not stop, the progress of good 

 forest management. 



States Will Take a Hand 



On the other hand, it is reasonable to suppose that the 

 people of the timber-producing states will gradually come to 

 see that their interest, as well as that of the lumberman, is to 

 be furthered by placing the industry on a sound basis. Sell- 

 ing more lumber than they consume, they will not rejoice over 

 low prices any more than a wheat state does over the fall of 

 wheat because it uses some flour, but they will be equally 

 unable to exert much stiffening influence on the price. Con- 

 sequently they will probably attempt to sustain the industry 

 by increasing production. But in this attempt they will con- 

 sider immediate community advantage first, future com- 

 munity advantage next, and the lumberman's advantage only 

 as it is incidental. And such measures as they endorse they 

 are likely to enforce by law. 



We see, then, that two forces are making for the better 



