6 COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF WHITE MOUNTAIN FORESTS. 



taxed as improved lands in 1850, but had reverted to unimproved 

 lands by 1900. a These are the " abandoned farms." 



CLASSIFICATION OF LAND IN NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



Tables 3 and 4 show the classification of land in northern New 

 Hampshire and cover the White Mountain region. The area exam- 

 ined was 1,951,977 acres. 6 



Table 3. — Area of northern New Hampshire, land and water. c 



Acres. 



Virgin merchantable fdrest 200, 000 



Cut-over or culled land 1, 363, 711 



Barren and waste land 120, 495 



Total forest land 1, 684, 206 



Agricultural land 244, 036 



Water 23, 735 



Total 1, 951, 977 



Table 3 shows that virgin forest forms only about 12 per cent of the 

 total forest area. 



Table 4. — Approximate ownership of forest lands in northern New Hampshire. 



Acres. 



Large lumber and pulp companies 900, 000 



Hotel companies 28, 000 



Small holders of forest land 756, 000 



Agricultural land, small holdings 244, 000 



Total 1, 928, 000 



The publication from which Tables 3 and 4 are derived contains 

 further detailed information which proves that the agricultural land 

 is but little more than one-tenth of the area of northern New Hamp- 

 shire; that nearly 150,000 acres are in waste or in a barren condition, 

 or covered with water; that nearly 85,000 acres were burned over in 

 the "big fire year" of 1903; that the stand of conifers is estimated 

 to contain 4,764,000,000 feet b. m. ; that the areas occupied by these 

 conifers, such as spruce, pine, and balsam, are five times as large as 

 the hardwood areas, taking the northern part of the State as a whole. 



TREE SPECIES. 



The tree species most abundant in the White Mountain forests may 

 be considered in two groups, conifers and the hardwoods. Of the 

 conifers red spruce is the most important tree, outranking any other 

 in quantity and value. It is seldom found below 1,200 feet above 

 sea level except in swamps. At lower altitudes it gives place to 



a Twelfth Census Bulletin, New Hampshire. 



& Forest Service Bulletin 55, "Forest Conditions of Northern New Hampshire," by 

 Alfred K. Chittenden, 1905. 



c Tables 3 and 4 are from Forest Service Bulletin 55. 

 [Cir. 168] 





