11 



The larger private holdings that are sufficiently compact 

 or accessible to one plant may be a pei-petual and con- 

 tinuous source of supply if a co-operative programme could 

 be arranged that would make it practicable to meet the 

 carrying charges and do the forestry work of protecting 

 and reforesting. Without such provision, the more rapid 

 cutting of the timber will be an actual necessity to cover the 

 return of capital invested in timber and plant and to cover 

 profit or compensation for conducting the enterprise. The 

 smaller holdings, ranging from fifty or seventy-five thou- 

 sand acres down to quarter sections, and which comprises 

 a large fractional part of all the standing timber, cannot 

 be conservatively handled and reforested. Some measures 

 might be devised or developed through which such smaller 

 holdings might by consolidated into sufficiently large tracts 

 to make conservation and reforesting practicable. 



The solution of the conservation problems in a way that 

 will supply the demand for wood product continuously and 

 perpetually must be entered upon in a practical, vigorous 

 way that will so lengthen out the present supply that it will 

 lap over to the reforested growth without leaving an open 

 gap, and be sufficiently comprehensive to supply the enor- 

 mously large amount of lumber and wood products de- 

 manded by the public interest, even when reduced per capita 

 to the actual n'ccessities of the public. 



The success of this movement will mean the conserva- 

 tion of all the forests held by the Government and, in 

 largest part, the private holdings in the Western or Pacific 

 States. The area of the resei-vations is about i68 million 

 acres. This could not be counted for more than seventy- 

 five million acres of well-timbered land. If to this could be 

 added flVdHltBliBHii seventy-five million acres of the 

 private holdings of heavy or good timber, this amount, 

 when supplemented by the State and other individual hold- 

 ings, may provide a supply of fifty billions per year continu- 



