20 MISC. PUBLICATION 249, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



use of wood in all sorts of products, as in the manufacture of plywoods, 

 wallboards, plastics, and rayon, and the increasing use of such equip- 

 ment as dry kilns and preserving plants to procure better utilization 

 of lumber products, are creating opportunities for specialists in the in- 

 dustrial phases of wood use. Industry is also attempting to find new 

 uses for little-used species and to create byproducts and new products 

 which will broaden markets and utilize materials now wasted in the 

 manufacture of primary products. 



Though a knowledge of forestry is not essential to a retail or whole- 

 sale lumber dealer, a knowledge of woods^and their properties gives 

 the dealer an opportunity to speak with authority on the technical 

 qualities of the woods and materials handled. 



Of her Private Forestry Work 



There is a broad and as yet largely undeveloped field for forestry 

 among public service corporations owning timberlands. Many rail- 

 roads own extensive tracts of this kind. Some of these corporations 

 have already adopted a consistent and permanent policy of holding 

 their timberlands and are introducing systematic forest protection and 

 management. Some of the eastern railroads have considered the ac- 

 quisition of forest lands and planting of trees, wherever necessary, for 

 the production of ties and other wood supplies. Many have technical 

 foresters in their industrial departments. 



Many water companies hold extensive timber tracts on the drainage 

 areas from which their water supplies are derived. These companies 

 for the most part have adopted a definite policy of maintaining such 

 land in forest growth. In many cases, they might find it advantageous 

 to employ professional foresters to keep the forest cover in the best 

 possible condition while at the same time yielding cash revenue. 



Frequently mining companies own lands covered with iree growth. 

 Many companies in the southern mountains, especially coal mining 

 companies, hold considerable areas for mineral development and also 

 for the production of wood and timber for use in the mines. Some 

 are already treating timbers with chemical preservatives and others 

 have taken up the problem of conservative forest management on 

 their lands. Some companies are attempting reforestation of areas 

 ruined by mine dumps or open pit operations. 



Another class of private owners consists of clubs or individuals who 

 have acquired forest property for hunting and other recreational pur- 

 poses. Relatively few large tracts of land in private estates, however, 

 are managed at present under forestry principles with a technical for- 

 ester in charge. Usually work on the ground is supervised by a 

 resident ranger or woods foreman. Where technical work is done, it 

 is often directed by a consulting forester who visits the tract at inter- 

 vals. Most of the forestry so far practiced on private estates has been, 

 and, except for the largest owners, will probably continue to be of 

 this character. 



There are now more than 400 private firms and individuals who 

 act as consulting foresters. This is a natural goal of some of the 

 more mature and experienced men who have acquired a solid footing 

 in the profession. Younger men are sometimes employed as assistants 

 and as members of field parties. Some consulting or private prac- 

 ticing foresters conduct a very prosperous business, especially when 



