In some places, the quickest procedure was to kill
and burn the trees and plant between the stumps.
When the material conditions were like these, the
method of adjustment to the forests was charac-
terized by a policy which has been called exploi-
tation. Exploitation in regard to the forests was
indeed a part of the mores of the time, and de-
scribes a part of the adaptive culture in relation
to forests.
As time went on, however, the population
grew, manufacturing became highly developed,
and the need for forests increased. But the for-
ests were being destroyed. This was partic-
ularly true in the Appalachian, Great Lakes and
Gulf regions. The policy of exploitation contin-
ued. Then rather suddenly it began to be real-
ized in certain centres of thought that if the pol-
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icy of cutting timber continued at the same rate
and in the same manner the forests would in
a short time be gone and very soon indeed they
would be inadequate to supply the needs of the
population. It was realized that the custom in
regard to using the forests must be changed and
a policy of conservation was advocated. The
new policy of conservation means not only a re-
striction in the amount of cutting down of trees,
but it means a more scientific method of cutting,
and also reforestation. Forests may be cut in
such a way, by selecting trees according to their
size, age and location, as to yield a large quantity
of timber and yet not diminish the forest area.
