Another experiment station should be provided to study the forestry problems of Pennsylvania, southern and western New York, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware.  At one time this region was the most important lumber centre of the United States.  Pennsylvania spends $100,000,000 a year in importing lumber which should be grown at home.  The denuded and waste lands at the headwaters of the Allegheny River now extend over one-half million acres.  New Jersey is using more than twenty times as much lumber as is produced in the state.  Ohio is a centre for wood manufacturing industries, yet her timber-producing possibilities are neglected, as are those of other states needing wood for similar purposes.

European nations have spent large sums of money in investigating forestry problems to make timber producing economically feasible, and have found that it paid.  In this country, our forest experiment stations will have to deal with a timbered area twice that of all Europe, exclusive of Russia.  That is why we shall need many of these stations to help solve the many questions of national welfare which are so dependent upon our forests.

CHAPTER XIV

WHY THE UNITED STATES SHOULD PRACTICE FORESTRY

Of late years the demand for lumber by the world trade has been very great.  Most of the countries which have extensive forests are taking steps to protect their supplies.  They limit cutting and restrict exports of timber.  Both New Zealand and Switzerland have passed laws of this kind.  Sweden exports much lumber, but by law forbids the cutting of timber in excess of the annual growth.  Norway regulates private cutting.  England is planning to plant 1,770,000 acres of new forest reserve.  This body of timber when ready for cutting, would be sufficient to supply her home needs in time of emergency for at least three years.  France is enlarging her forest nurseries and protecting her timber in every possible way.  Even Russia, a country with huge forest tracts, is beginning to practice conservation.  Russia now requires that all timber cut under concession shall be replaced by plantings of trees.

For many years, the United States and China were the greatest wasters of forest resources under the sun.  Now this country has begun to practice scientific forestry on a large scale so that China now has the worst-managed forests in the world.  Japan, on the other hand, handles her forests efficiently and has established a national forestry school.  Austria, Norway, Sweden and Italy have devoted much time, labor and money to the development of practical systems of forestry.  Turkey, Greece, Spain and Portugal, all follow sane and sensible forestry practices.  Even Russia takes care of her national timberlands and annually draws enormous incomes from their maintenance.  France and Germany both have highly successful forestry systems.  Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand are using their forests in a practical manner and saving sufficient supplies of wood for posterity.