66 RESOURCES OF TENNESSEE. 



It takes a long period to grow forests of big trees, but they may be cut 

 down and used, or wasted, in a comparatively short time. It is likely that 

 the future crops of trees will be harvested before they reach near the age 

 of the old stands of virgin timber. However, through some method of 

 regulating the cut, or for the express purpose of securing certain kinds 

 of clear lumber, the trees may be left to grow to a large size. But whether 

 trees are cut in the future at an earlier age or not, it is important always 

 to have plenty of them in the right places and well cared for. 



It takes only a few months to grow and harvest ordinary farm products, 

 such as cotton, corn and wheat. In fact the whole work of producing 

 each crop is of short duration. The farmer plows his land, plants, culti- 

 vates, harvests and markets his crop in the same year. His labor produces 

 a quick return. His sheep, cattle, horses and hogs are ready for market 

 in a comparatively short time, say from one to five years. But in con- 

 trast to these short time productions of the farm, is timber, no less a farm 

 product because of the comparatively long time it takes to mature. Nearly 

 every landowner in the State has his wood lot or "woods" as it is gen- 

 erally called. He secures from his crop of trees such materials of wood 

 as are necessary for his comfort and convenience. If he cuts off a por- 

 tion of his wood lot for fence rails, posts, fire-wood or lumber, he may 

 see a fine crop of young trees come back to take the place of the old ones. 

 Likely he will not live to see them grow to a stand of large mature timber. 



The farmers of the State own a very large amount of the woodlands of 

 Tennessee, and practically all the rest belong to other private individuals, 

 companies and corporations. From them must come a great help in tak- 

 ing care of, protecting and perpetuating the forests and timber supply. 

 One may say he has enough to last him his lifetime, which is doubtless 

 true. But that is not the question ; after him there are others coming who 

 will need and can not do without wood, not to mention any of the other 

 benefits of the forest. 



The timber of the State was once very abundant, and the population 

 relatively small. Nature has furnished a supply ready at hand which had 

 required no effort from the settler to produce. He simply took it over 

 as a natural right and used it pretty much as he pleased in his limited way. 

 Markets were hard to reach, railroads few or none, the waterways little 

 used, and therefore the amount of lumber reaching the markets was small. 

 But now since the population has increased, and railroads and water trans- 

 portation have so developed, the heavy demand for lumber has rapidly 

 drained our forests until we are under obligations to take care of what 

 remains of them. The people need more and better timber and they can 



