The Significance of the Forest 5 



only because, we have enough poorer land to produce all 

 the timber we shall need. 



Germany at one time had a much larger area of forest 

 than she needed. At that time, as with us now, they cut 

 the timber needed without reference to the future. It 

 did not pay them to grow new forests while there was a 

 sufficient supply from the old ones. This continued until 

 the area of timber land was reduced to a low percentage. 

 As the supply diminished, the price increased until it was 

 apparent that some of the poorer qualities of land being 

 used for ordinary agriculture would produce more revenue 

 if devoted to the growing of forests. When the forested 

 area became again too large, the prices fell and some of 

 the forest land reverted to general agriculture. These 

 trial balances showed plainly that about twenty-six per 

 cent of the entire land area had to be devoted to timber 

 growth if the proper balance was to be utilized to the 

 greatest financial advantage. 



The classification of lands 



Here is the crux of the whole question of the develop- 

 ment of our country, — the classification of our lands so 

 that they may be used in the most productive capacity. 

 Up to the present time this has not been done. All efforts 

 in this direction have been unsatisfactory because they 

 have not been based on the proper data. A chemical 

 analysis of soil establishes certain facts in regard to its 

 chemical constituents; in certain rare instances it deter- 

 mines the possibility or impossibility of that soil support- 

 ing a certain kind of plant growth ; it may indicate that 

 a soil is chemically suited for certain crops ; it shows the 



