THE PROGRESS OF FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 407 



practice of forestry gives to such owners a form of work which 

 they can often supervise themselves, and which gives them a 

 more intimate knowledge of the various parts of their estates 

 than they would otherwise have. Many owners of this class, 

 especially in Massachusetts and Connecticut, have planted large 

 tracts of waste lands, and are systematically thinning their 

 woodlands. 



The greater portion of the forest land of New England is still 

 owned by the farmers and lumbermen, who are for the most part 

 mismanaging it, much as they always have, for only a few of 

 these owners are here and there planting or making forestry cut- 

 tings. One cannot fail to realize, however, that the past few 

 years have seen a considerable change in the general attitude of 

 these owners. They are apt to think twice before they clean the 

 evergreens off an old pasture, and they cut their winter's wood 

 supply in many cases more or less after a crude selection system. 

 In these and various other measures there is an indication that 

 forestry is to be gradually adopted by many people, who will 

 never realize that they have changed their methods. 



It is very difficult to form any estimate of the total area in 

 New England at present under forest management, especially 

 because there is no well-defined line between old-time manage- 

 ment and the crude forestry measures which in many cases are 

 little more than the expression of a desire for better management. 

 If management with the aim of permanent profit rather than 

 for present gain alone is the line of distinction, it is estimated 

 that five per cent of the forested lands of New England are so 

 managed at present. If, however, the application of the term 

 "Practice of Forestry" is restricted to lands upon which cultural 

 operations are actually being practiced, it is doubtful if even one 

 per cent of the entire wooded area could be classed as under 

 forest management. 



In the future it is probable that less forest land will be owned 

 by farmers and lumbermen, and more by the governments, 

 state and national, by large estates, and by companies formed 

 with the express purpose of practicing forestry. 



