12 APPALACHIAN AND WHITE MOUNTAIN WATERSHEDS. 



without hindrance. Every year millions of young trees, the hope 

 of the future crop, are Idlled and the humus, the great storehouse of 

 fertihty and moisture, is consumed over thousands of acres. Through 

 mismanagement a great part of the yoimg timber has been destroyed. 

 Much that remains is damaged by fire, msects, or fungi. Over the 

 whole area the average growth is very little, probably not more than 

 10 cubic feet per acre annually. 



The inevitable conclusion is that there are lean years close ahead 

 in the use of hardwood timber. There is sure to be a gap between 

 the supply which exists and the supply which will have to be pro- 

 vided. How large that gap will be depends upon how soon and now 

 effectively we begin to make provision for the future supply. The 

 present indications are that in spite of the best we can do there will 

 be a shortage of hardwoods running through at least fifteen years. 

 How acute that shortage may become and how serious a check it 

 will put upon the industries concerned can not now be foretold. That 

 it will strike at the very foundation of some of the country's most 

 important industries is unquestionable. This much is true beyond 

 doubt, that the hardwood timber famine is upon us and we have 

 made no provision against it. 



Studies of the forest conditions in the Southern Appalachians show 

 that these lands, where they have been under protection for some 

 time, are capable of producing an average of 50 cubic feet of wood 

 per acre annually. Even taking the production at 40 cubic feet, this 

 means for the area of 75 million acres a possible annual production of 

 about 3 bilhon cubic feet, which is about equal to the present con- 

 sumption of hardwood timber for all purposes. Since the Appala- 

 chians at present supply only 48 per cent of our hardwood, and since 

 other regions will continue to furnish some, it is hkely that the pro- 

 portion from the Appalachians will never exceed 75 per cent. This 

 allows a margin of saiety of 25 per cent if we assume that there will 

 be no increase over the present rate of consumption. If the Appa- 

 lachian forests are taken soon enough and rightly handled they will 

 eventually produce continuously three-fourths of the hardwood sup- 

 ply of the country, and do it without exhausting the forests. In fact, 

 it can be done in such a way as to improve the forest. 



Our experience will doubtless be the same in tliis respect as that of 

 Germany. In Saxony the cut, which represents only the growth, 

 increased 55 per cent during the period from 1820 to 1904, bringing 

 the annual yield to 93 cubic feet per acre. Prussia shows a still 

 more pronoimced increase. In 1830 the cut was only 20 cubic feet 

 per acre, and in 1865 had increased to only 24 cubic feet. But in 

 1890, owing to proper management, it had risen to 52, and in 1904 to 

 65 cubic feet. These results came largely from nonagricultural lands, 

 sandy plains, swamps, and rough mountain slopes, and from forests 

 which had been mismanaged, much the same as ours. Under right 

 management an equal increase may be expected fTom Appalachian 

 forests. To this increase of yield we must look to meet the increase 

 which is certain to come in demand. 



