STATUS AND VALUE OF FARM WOODLOTS. 



23 



INCREASE IN VALUE OF >VOODLOT PRODUCTS. 



The value of woodlot products cut each year in the Eastern States- 

 has increased rapidly. Between 1880 and 1910 the increase was over 

 90 per cent, It was due partly to the rapid rate of clearing and 

 partly to the increase in the intrinsic value of the products. The rate 

 of increase varies with the region. In thinly settled regions it is 

 rapid ; in thickly settled regions, slow. This is shown for the Eastern 

 States as a whole and in geographic groups in Table 8, which also 

 gives the total amount of income from woodlot products in 1909 

 according to the Thirteenth Census, the percentage of farms which 

 reported woodlot incomes, and the proportion of income represented 

 by wood sold and wood used on the farm. As a rule, less than half 

 the total number of farms reported woodlot products. This does 

 not mean that less than half had woodlots, since there were un- 

 doubtedly many farms with woodlots which cut no timber in that 

 year. 



Table 8. — Total value of woodlot products, 1909, with' increase in value since 



1S99 and 1819. 



[Compiled from Thirteenth Census, Vol. V, Table 154.] 



State groups. 



Propor- 

 tion of 

 farms re- 

 porting 

 woodlot 

 products. 



Value of woodlot products. 



Total. 



Propor- 

 tion used 

 on farms. 



Propor- 

 tion sold. 



Increase in value 

 since — 



1899 1879 



(10years).(30years). 



Eastern United States 



New England 



Middle Atlantic 



North Central 



Lake States 



South Atlantic .... 



South Central 



Per cent. 

 43.2 

 61.5 

 43.2 

 31.8 

 50.8 

 50.3 

 42.0 



$169,948,468 

 17,664,763 

 19,110,765 

 26,746,377 

 22,652,837 

 44,010,178 

 39,763,548 



Per cent. 

 52.7 

 35.4 

 48.0 

 61.8 

 57.6 

 51.0 

 55.5 



Per cent. 

 47.3 

 64.6 

 52.0 

 38.2 

 42.4 

 49.0 

 44.5 



Per cent. 

 70.5 

 68.7 

 30.7 

 26.6 

 39.4 

 137.3 

 113.4 



Per cent. 

 90.9 

 78.8 

 21.7 

 11.9 

 95.8 

 213.1 

 185.6 



The last two columns of Table 8 show that the greater part of the 

 increase in the 30 years from 1879 to 1909 came in the last 10 years. 

 This is especially striking in the case of the Middle Atlantic and 

 North Central States, where the value of Avoodlot products was 

 actually greater in 1879 than in 1899. This is perhaps attributable 

 chiefly to the greater aggregate quantity of timber cut in these 

 States in the former year, when clearing was active. The great 

 rise in the last 10 years was due primarily to the general rise in 

 value of wood products, though partly also to the large quantities 

 of wood available from clearing. 



AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF WOODLOT TIMBER. 



Though the area in woodlots is quite closely known, the total 

 stand of woodlot timber can onlv be estimated. Such an estimate 



