FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 99 



the better settled portion of nine other counties. There are still, how- 

 ever, two entire counties over which stock is allowed to run at large. 

 But the law is being extended year by year, and before long will cover 

 not only this entire region, but the whole State as well. 



SALE OF STANDING TIMBER. 



Much of the waste and destruction of young growth and reproduc- 

 tion incident to the average logging operations is due to the indiffer- 

 ence or carelessness of the owner. This carelessness is generally dis- 

 played in the manner of making a contract or in signing the contract 

 drawn up by the purchaser, or more often in having no contract at 

 all. Many years ago much standing timber was sold by the individual 

 tree; in some counties the marked trees are still standing, thus pre- 

 venting the growth of young trees. The owner of the land is paying 

 taxes on it every year, and yet he is losing the growth both on the 

 trees he sold and on the other timber because no stipulation was made 

 in the contract as to when these trees were to be removed. 



In selling stumpage (standing timber) the owner must understand 

 thoroughly the market conditions, that is the price which each forest 

 product (lumber, extract wood, pulp, poles, ties, etc.) will bring de- 

 livered at the railroad. He must also be thoroughly familiar with 

 the transportation problem; that is, he must know just how much it 

 will cost to get the product to the railroad. He should also know how 

 much it will cost to log the area which he has to sell, and how much 

 to manufacture the product. In other words, he should have an idea 

 of how much it will cost the purchaser to market his product and how 

 much he (the purchaser) is likely to get for it. He will then know 

 how much profit the purchaser expects to make and will be able to 

 decide upon a price for his standing trees which shall be fair to the 

 purchaser (making due allowance for risks in fluctuating markets, etc.) 

 and to himself. 



It is always advisable to require the purchaser to pay on the actual 

 amount cut rather than to pay a lump sum for the estimated amount 

 on the area. If he (the owner) is unable himself to scale the logs in 

 the woods, he can take the returns from the purchaser and check them 

 by occasional visits to the woods or to the mill. 



In order to secure reproduction and provide for the future produc- 

 tivity of his land, the owner should mark the trees to be cut as recom- 

 mended under Forest Management, and should see to it that all these 

 trees are cut and none others. He should not only provide for the full 

 utilization and satisfactory removal of the timber to be cut, but he 

 should also provide against unnecessary destruction of the young growth 

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