78 JAMESTOWN CONGRESS OF HORTICULTURE 



people. The use should and will greatly increase. For 1907 the income 

 from grazing was $875,000, as against $550,000 in 1906. The total 

 income for 1907 will probably be 50 per cent greater than for 1906. 



Not only are these wild lands being used they are being devel- 

 oped. The use which is being made of them by the public results in 

 development. Railroads, wagon roads, trails, canals, flumes, power 

 and telephone lines, reservoirs and bridges are being built, many of 

 them at private expense. In addition, the government itself is con- 

 structing many permanent improvements. During the present season 

 it will construct 2,200 miles of telephone line, 2,500 miles of trail, 100 

 bridges, 500 rangers' cabins, 200 miles of roadway, and 500 miles of 

 fence. 



The result will be to open up the forests for greater use. New 

 forest and grazing areas will be made accessible and better arrange- 

 ments made for handling the business. The forest-system of the 

 government will undoubtedly be self-sustaining within a few years. 



INFLUENCE OF NATIONAL FORESTS ON THE WESTERN TIMBER SUPPLY AND 

 ON THE PROTECTION OF WESTERN STREAMS. 



There are estimated to be upwards of 350 billion feet of timber 

 in the national forests, an amount large enough to supply the United 

 States for all purposes about three and one-half years (for our annual 

 use is about 100 billion feet). Considering the country west of the 

 Mississippi River, where are found only 25 per cent of our people, the 

 national forests would supply wood for its uses for fourteen years. 

 But the main part of the trans-Mississippi timber supply, namely, about 

 750 billion feet, is in private hands. This total supply of 1,100 billion 

 feet should be sufficient for the population west of the Mississippi at 

 the present rate of use, for over forty years. With this large present 

 supply and the great area which the Government from this time on 

 will have under protection and management, it is safe to conclude that 

 the timber supply for the western part of the country is on a fairly 

 good basis. 



Considering stream protection, we may note that every important 

 western stream which rises in the high mountains has its headwaters 

 protected by national forests. There will be no further denudation of 

 these important watersheds. The timber, while of course it will be 

 cut, will be cut conservatively, without impairing in any degree the 

 protective value of the forest cover. Protection from fire will result 

 in the reproduction of the forest in some localities where it has been 

 swept away. Important watersheds where natural reproduction is hope- 

 less will be planted. The western water supply, like the western timber 

 supply, is in good condition, and will be constantly improved for many 

 years, because of the protective influence of the national forests. 



SHOULD THE NATIONAL FORESTS BE EXTENDED TO THE EASTERN STATES ? 



The states east of the Mississippi originally were almost entirely 

 wooded with the finest commercial timbers white pine in the North, 



