WHERE WE MIGHT STAND. 25 
We take out of our forests each year three times as much wood as 
they grow, partly because we waste more wood than any other 
nation. The saving of wood practicable in logging, in the mill, and 
in use has already been pointed out, but we fail to produce each year 
much more than the wood we need because we misuse the forest. 
Against an average yearly growth of 12 cubic feet per acre in the 
United States, the forests in Germany, all of which are rightly 
handled, yield each year 48 cubic feet per acre, and their most com- 
mon trees do not grow naturally as fast as ours. It is certain that the 
average annual yield of forests in this country can be made, through 
protection from fire and through conservative logging, much larger 
than that of forests in Germany. 
Every owner of forest lands can stop fires and log conservatively, 
with immediate profit, as well as with permanent profit. 
Most other countries have already learned that the forests which 
are not conserved will be used up, and they are taking care of what 
they have. We are among the last to learn it. We can profit by that 
knowledge if we will. 
Approved : 
JAMES WiLson, Secretary. 
WasuineTon, D. C., Vovember 10, 1909. 
[Cir. 171] 
O 
