20 The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



duction age could be considerably reduced by thinnings such as 

 are made in the Maritime Pine forests of southern France. Here, 

 then, we have a possibility of raising trees for turpentine on a 

 very profitable basis with the naval stores the chief product and 

 , the wood a by-product. Estimates by the Forest Service show 



the possibility of a 10 per cent investment, based on $5.00 land. 

 This is pretty good for land that is not suited, at the present 

 time, for agriculture. 



In the matter of timber production the South is in an ex- 

 ceptionally favorable position. Examples may be multiplied 

 which demonstrate that young long leaf pine stands are growing 

 at the rate of from 600 to 800 board feet per acre per annum, 

 J and, where properly thinned, would yield more. Loblolly Pine 

 under reasonably favorable conditions grows with equal rapidity. 

 Such growth, of course, occurs only where there is a reasonably 

 good stand of trees. 



From the standpoint of the public, production of even 200 

 feet per acre per annum would be of great value. It would 

 mean a growth over the whole region of over twelve to fifteen 

 billion feet, enough to sustain the turpentine industry and a 

 lumber industry of large proportions in the aggregate for many 

 years. I believe that it is entirely possible to secure this growth, 

 by organized fire protection and by the systematic use of the 

 pine lands for grazing, agriculture and forestry. 



One of the things that has been demonstrated by the admin- 

 istration of the National Forests has been the practicability of 

 producing timber and live stock on the same lands. In the 

 West as in the South the forests are chiefly coniferous. For- 

 Growing Tim- merly these lands were over-grazed and as a result were steadily 



ber and Live (deteriorating in productiveness of forage, and the forest growth 



Stock on the .... , „, , i ^ j 



s r rJ ^^^ progressively mjured. ihe system of regulated grazmg 



now in effect has largely restored the forest range, stopped 

 erosion and safeguarded forest production. The same can be 

 done in the South. Unless I am misinformed, the constant abuse 

 of the Southern lands by fire is steadily lowering their value for 

 grazing and for possible later agriculture. Control of fire and 

 regulated grazing would make these lands more productive. 



Still another result in the National Forests has been the de- 

 velopment of scattered agricultural lands directly due to the 

 public forestry enterprise. The activities connected with the 

 forests, and the stability of grazing on the/ public forests, are 



