The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-01-02
RAISING TREES.
Some Suggestions for the Calculation &
Profits from Forest Culture.

Some Suggestions for the Calculation of
Profits from Forest Culture.
From the american Forestry BuEletin
we take the following suggestions re-
lating to the interest suggested, because
our people have notyet learned its great
importance:
In discussing forestry matters in this
country we must not forget that the
needs of the various sections dife-
widely, as do also the conditions for
successful-we mean financially sue
cessful-torestry. The theories of eli
mate and hydraulic influence of the
forest, which have given the first i'm
petus to the forestry movement IN this
country are nov doubted by few-the
few having for the most part an inter-
est in Idoubting; the majority accept
them on faith, and some few on con-
viction. But, after all, these consider
tons will guide only the statesman and
the Government. The individual for
est owner desires to make forestry a
profitable business; he tries to produce
in the shortest time the highest rent
from the soil which he devotes to forest
~. Therefore, unless other conSidera-
tons necessitate, wheat land should not
be given up to forest growth; for what
ever may have been said on the profita-
bleness of forest growing, with some
few exceptions forestry, compared with
agriculture, is only profitable on poor
soil, paradoxical as this may appear.
In all calculations on the profits of for
est culture our friends have neglected to
bring into use factor which will place
the balance on the wrong side every
time, unless due care has been taken to
reduce the initial outlay for land, labor,
etc., to the smallest amount. In agri-
culture we take every year in our crops
the interest on the capital invested in
the shape of land, labor and seed, and
can apply this interest in any way we
like, investing it, for instance, in rail-
road stocks and deriving the interest
in dividends thereon. In forestry,
unfortunately, the calculation is more
complicated, from the fact that the full
returns on our capital can not be ex-
pected for 100, 80, so, or as some advo-
Gates of rapid growth will have it, 40
years from the start of the plantation.
If then we begin with soil the price
of which was $50 per acre, on that part
of the investment alone, the returns
will have to be, taking rotation of 60
years, $3.50, to pay interest at five per
cent. Mr.. Foster, of Muscatine, Ia,
calculating for profit, allows 800 for
plantation of one acre. The amount
would demand at the end of 60 years,
$1,868, in order to cover interest On the
investment, or the whole acre must
have produced $2,400 in 60 years. This
amount will be somewhat modified by
returns from Trimmings during the time
of rotation, with compound interest
added up to the end of 80 years. But
taxes and the extra profit which any
man expects from an enterprise so haz-
ardous as forestry growing, will more
than counterbalance this amount. In
walnut, at 800 per 1000 feet clear of
expense, we would have to cut at 60
years $4,000 feet of clear lumber! We
doubt whether this will ever be done.
Yet we do not mean to discourage for
est planting by these eXpositions; we
only want to direct attention of forest
growers to the necessity of simplifying
and cheapening methods of forest grow
ing, and of selecting such soils as can
not be utilized to better advantage for
agricultural purposes. Fortunately the
demands of forest trees on the soil arc
very insignificant. Whilst the agricult
ural crops deprive the soil of its rarest
mineral constituents, tree growth makes
demand only ON the physical properties
of the same, taking its nourishment
mainly from the air. The poor soils,
therefore, are those which, m highly
cultivated country, will properly be de-
voted to forest growth.