8 BULLETIN 364, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
FOREST MANAGEMENT. 
With a few exceptions, no attempt is made in the southern pine 
region to manage private forests for continuous production. Nor is 
this done in the United States generally. Present economic condi- 
tions make necessary the lumbering of the larger holdings on a big 
scale. This means a large annual cut accompanied by rapid deple- 
tion of the merchantable timber supply. Even where curtailment 
_ might otherwise be possible, it is frequently prevented by a heavily 
bonded indebtedness, on which the necessary payments must be made 
with the proceeds from the annual cut of timber. Nowhere is this 
more often the case than in the southern pine region. The farmer 
also often sacrifices his woodlot to meet indebtedness. Yet even 
where it is possible for the lumberman or farmer to cut his timber 
only as the market and his personal needs may require, he usually 
does the cutting without reference to a future crop of timber on the 
same land. 
To meet this problem the States of the southern pine region need 
to investigate economic conditions in the lumbering and farming dis- 
tricts, with the idea of giving advice to private owners as to how far 
the practice of forestry may pay in dollars and cents. Assistance 
should also be offered in the planting of trees on waste areas and in 
the prairie regions and in shade-tree planting in towns and cities. 
It is customary for the owner or town to pay the agent’s field ex- 
penses, while the State pays his salary. All States with forestry 
departments have provided for work of this character. 
STATE-OWNED FORESTS. 
Large areas of true forest land should be owned by the State, since 
it is better able than the private owner to hold the land for con- 
tinuous timber production and for stream-flow protection. Public 
ownership, furthermore, guarantees a permanent administration of 
the properties. The stability of the lumber industry may thus be 
assured, and with it, steady employment for the wage earner. The 
educational effect of public forests as demonstration areas is very 
important and may be productive of excellent results. Public forests 
can also be used as recreation grounds by the people of the State, 
and may eventually become an attraction for tourists and pleasure 
seekers from other parts of the country. They also afford range and 
breeding ground for game. Through revenue from timber sales and 
other privileges they should become self supporting. ~ In some cases 
sufficient revenues should be derived from them to go to the support 
of other State activities as well. 
Nearly every State which has given serious attention to its forest 
problems has provided for the establishment of publicly owned for- 
