50 BULLETIN 1061, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
lent to more than all the forest lands of France. The amount of 
permanent " forest soil " in the South, or land which will eventually 
be found to be better adapted to forest purposes than to an}- other 
use, is not known, but the area is extensive. Plate XXI shows 
the kind of timber which, if it is grown at all in the future, will 
probably be produced under some form of public land control or 
ownership. Either acting alone or in cooperation with the Federal 
Government, the State after acquiring tracts of the poorer classes 
of southern pine cut-over lands, would doubtless be in the best 
position to begin building up forests for a sustained yield of tur- 
pentine and limber. Such action, if taken, would probably be more 
as an example to show how the thing may be done. It is believed 
that at the present rate of development private enterprise in the 
South will soon take a serious interest in managing forests of long- 
leaf and slash pines for continuous production (PI. XXII). Grad- 
There are millions of acres of lands in the South- 
ern States which will become valuable to the owner 
and the State only by the growing of pine timber. 
The protection and reforestation of these lands mean 
permanent industries, permanent homes, good roads, 
and good schools. 
ualry the small owner will adopt the system, making such changes 
as may seem desirable to meet the conditions of private ownership. 
TThile it is growing a crop of longleaf or of slash pine for tur- 
pentine and timber, much of the land at the same time can be grazed 
without detriment to the growth of the timber. This means of 
securing a double source of income is open alike to the small farmer 
and to the large land company. If the farmer's principal business 
happens to be the growing of crops, cattle and trees make a good 
combination for additional profit. 
The best utilization of southern cut-over pine lands and the method 
of bringing it about constitute a problem affecting the interests of 
owners of farms, large landholders, the State, and the Nation. The 
present state of waste and idleness of these lands places a financial 
burden upon the owners, and, through the decrease in taxable values, 
upon the State and Xation. 
It appears practically certain that, however large the demand 
may be for farming and grazing lands, vast areas of the poorer 
classes of land will remain idle during the next half century or 
more unless they are devoted to timber growing. 
