50 BULLETIN 1061, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



lent to more than all the forest lands of France. The amount of 

 permanent " forest soil " in the South, or land which will eventually 

 be found to be better adapted to forest purposes than to any other 

 use, is not known, but the area is extensive. Plate XXI shows 

 the kind of timber which, if it is grown at all in the future, will 

 probably be produced under some form of public land control or 

 ownership. Either acting alone or in cooperation with the Federal 

 Government, the State after acquiring tracts of the poorer classes 

 of southern pine cut-over lands, would doubtless be in the best 

 position to begin building up forests for a sustained yield of tur- 

 pentine and limber. Such action, if taken, would probably be more 

 as an example to show how the thing may be done. It is believed 

 that at the present rate of development private enterprise in the 

 South will soon take a serious interest in managing forests of long- 

 leaf and slash pines for continuous production (PI. XXII). Grad- 



There are millions of acres of lands in the South- 

 ern States which will become valuable to the owner 

 and the State only by the growing of pine timber. 

 The protection and reforestation of these lands mean 

 permanent industries, permanent homes, good roads, 

 and good schools. 



ually the small owner will adopt the system, making such changes 

 as may seem desirable to meet the conditions of private ownership. 



While it is growing a crop of longleaf or of slash pine for tur- 

 pentine and timber, much of the land at the same time can be grazed 

 without detriment to the growth of the timber. This means of 

 securing a double source of income is open alike to the small farmer 

 and to the large land company. If the farmer's principal business 

 happens to be the growing of crops, cattle and trees make a good 

 combination for additional profit. 



The best utilization of southern cut-over pine lands and the method 

 of bringing it about constitute a problem affecting the interests of 

 owners of farms, large landholders, the State, and the Nation. The 

 present state of waste and idleness of these lands places a financial 

 burden upon the owners, and, through the decrease in taxable values, 

 upon the State and Nation. 



It appears practically certain that, however large the demand 

 may be for farming and grazing lands, vast areas of the poorer 

 classes of land will remain idle during the next half century or 

 more unless they are devoted to timber growing. 



