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Excerpt from The Forests, Forest Lands, and Forest Products of Eastern North Carolina The policy of the average citizen appears to be based upon the theory that our natural resources are inexhaustible, and that we should get all out of them we can to-day and let the future take care of itself. And so thoroughly grounded are these notions in our public and private policy that it is exceedingly difficult to secure the adoption of any plan which runs counter to them. But fortunately, in the matter of our forests, their preservation for use by a future generation need not prohibit the utilization of the valuable timber now standing by the present generation. It only demands that while we cut and make use of this timber we protect the young growth, and look to the restocking of our waste lands with valuable trees, and thus make the forest valuable for future generations also. The examinations of the forests in Eastern North Carolina were begun by the present writer several years ago. More extended investigations have been carried on by Mr. W. W. Ashe at intervals during the past two years. The larger part of the information embodied in the present report was collected by him during a series of extended trips made through the eastern counties during the autumn of 1893 and the following winter. As shown in the body of this Report, the approximate supply of pine timber now stand ing in Eastern North Carolina is about feet, and this is being cut at the rate of about feet per annum. These figures point in unmistakable terms to the fact that. Unless mean while we encourage the growth of new trees, two decades more will find the valuable pine forests of this region largely a thing of the past. And it is unfortunately true that the cutting of this tim her is often followed by the destruction of the forest. Indeed, nothing in the way of forest management could be more reckless and destructive than the treatment of our long-leaf pine forests during the past few decades. I