Forestry and the National Forests. 7 



cut, can be told by counting the concentric rings of growth on the 

 stump, or by boring into the living tree with an instrument that re- 

 moves a small cylindrical section on which the annual growth rings 

 show. No average rate of growth can be given for the great variety 

 of trees in the United States, but in the Southwest it takes common 

 lumber species 150 to 200 years to reach a diameter of 20 to 23 

 inches. 



TIMBER HARVESTS. 



Timber is a crop — one of our most important 

 crops. It grows, ripens, and becomes ready for 

 the harvest Just as other agricultural crops. It 

 should be harvested in season and another crop 

 grown for the use of future generations, ft must 

 be protected from fires, from plant diseases, from 

 insect pests, just as other agricultural crops are 

 protected. 



— Secretary Henry C. Wallace. 



STUDY NO. 4. 



NATIONAL FORESTS. 



Location and extent of the national forests. — There are in the con- 

 tinental United States 146 national forests including two in Alaska. 

 In addition to these there is one in Porto Rico, and the total net area 

 is more than 157,000,000 acres. The largest national forest area in 

 the United States proper is in California. The forests are located 

 in 27 States, most of them being in the West. The first ones were 

 created in 1897 from the unreserved public domain and at that time 

 all were west of the Mississippi River. Now, however, through pur- 

 chase under the Weeks law, national forests are being established 

 on the headwaters of important streams in the eastern mountains 

 from Georgia to Maine. 



Property of all the people. — The national forests are the property 

 of all the citizens of the United States. While the people in the 

 immediate vicinity no doubt receive the greatest amount of direct 

 benefit from the national forests, they are but cosharers in owner- 

 ship. Every person who enters a national forest has broad rights 

 and privileges, but the exercise of these must be consistent with the 

 rights and privileges of every other citizen. Forests are for use, 

 but not for abuse. The Federal Government, through the Forest 

 Service, is protecting and managing the national forests for the 

 good of the whole people. 



What the ptiblic forests are for. — As provided in the basic law 

 of 1897, national forests have for their objects the improvement 

 and protection of the forests within their boundaries, the securing 

 of favorable conditions of waterflow, and the furnishing of a con- 

 tinuous supply of timber for the use of the citizens of the United 

 States. This calls for the utilization of all the resources which the 

 forests contain in ways which will make them of the greatest service, 

 and this means the greatest good to the greatest number in the 

 long run. It means conservation through use and the national 

 forests will be so managed as to grow successive crops of timber on 

 land best suited to timber production ; they will exert their influence 

 to prevent erosion and to control streamflow, to harbor game, and 

 to furnish ideal recreation to all people who can reach them. 



