ABSTRACT
Work in the forests enables a farmer to utilize his time profitably during seasons of slack agricultural activity and constitutes an important contribution to the stability and standards of rural living. Erosion, destructive floods, loss of top soil, and water failure may have to be dealt with in establishing a permanent agricultural economy. Protection against erosion and destructive water flow is usually the chief function of the forests in the higher regions where shallow soil and steep slopes make the land unstable. The chapter explores the intimate relationship that forests bear to a balanced agriculture. It suggests how their protective influences may be enhanced and how their economic potential may contribute to the living standards of a nation's rural population. It is directed primarily to countries formulating or expanding their agricultural programs to the end that forestry may bring to a farm economy the stability that can best come from an integrated use of agricultural and forest soils.
