Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-25


been shipped from these towns in the past
five years. The farmer gets 2 IL cents for
each tree. They are sold In the markets
In Boston, New York and Philadelphia
for Is cents to 500 apiece according to
the size and beauty Of the tree. Who gets
the better of the trade? Surely not the
farm. Including the cutting and hauling
the entire cost to the dealer is not more
than $50 per car. Now, allowing for
freight charges and probable losses. sup
pose the dealer gets the minimum price
quoted above, % cents for each tree, this
would yield him SITS for a carload which
cost him $50 Almost any man would be
satisfied with this rate OF interest on cap
ital invested. This estimate also Will
leave a good margin for the mddleman
and for the retailer.
The Christmas tree traffic has another
aspect whach Is well worth consideration,
supposing the farmer received price for
his trees commensurate with their value
in the city markets. even then would 1t
be a wise financial policy for him to cut
his young spruce? Most of the spruces
used for this purpose grow in pastures,
the trees cut averaging about four inches
in diameter Sometimes, however. tree
six or eight inches In diameter Is cut, the
Christmas tree taken from the top, the
rest being left on the ground.
The problem, then, resolves itself down
to the question whether or not the pas
ture spruce, in time, will make merchant
able lumber This evidently depends
upon the position and abundance of the
trees in the pasture. on an insulated tree
the limbs will grow nearly or quite to the
ground, thus making the lumber scrubby
and full of knots. In the natural course
of events, however. a spruce tree does not
long remain isolated. The seeds are
widely spread and terminate abundantly
ba with "a birh f.ps will fill
up on old pasture Is remarkable. When
their development Is not interferred with,
they soon grow so closely together that
the limbs of the different trees touch each
other. Largely owing to an insufficient
supply of light in this condition. the lower
limbs die. drop off and thus nature trims
the trees.
The writer has talked the matter over
with the leading lumbermen OF the State,
and, although few disagree 1t is the
almost unanimous opinion among them
that pasture spruces make merchantaDie
lumber. In fact, for certain purposes 1T
brings the same price in the market as
lumber taken from large forest trees.
As matter Of fact, the first quality
lumber which comes from virgin spruce
already is a very scarce article in the
State and In a comparatively few years
al the present rate and method of lumber
ing, the first growth spruce forests VIII
be practically exhausted With the eX-
ception of the Stratton mountain region
and of some portions OF Essex county,
there is hardly tract OF spruce OF any
considerable size which at some time has
not been exploited for its lumber. I'm
fortunately, moreover, the present method
of numbering Is such that areas cleared OF
spruce do not readily reseed TO spruce.
Hardwoods of little or no economic value.
generally take possession of such areas.
Eventually the spruces may come In ia
such an extent as again. 90 DC the domn'
ant trees on these cleared areas, but II
will take them hundred years or more to
do it..
Now, there are extensive areas In the
State covered with young and rapidly
growing spruce trees. These are the oio
pastures and abandoned farms of the MI
towns. In Rochester in company with an
expert lumberman. who has spent his
life in the woods, the writer explored the
town and made a careful estimate or the
areas growing up to spruces. 1t would b.
a moderate estimate to say that there are
l. 200 acres of pasture lands and abandon
ed farms in the town. which are now. OIL
will DO in a few years controlled by
spruces. Judging from what he saw las'
summer az an agent or the Nationa
Bureau of Forestry, the writer thinks
| this is a fair example of what is takinl
| place. III tiit hidJphiNy VI N''N 1850
| of the State.
To these places, to a large extent. the
| State must look for its future supply o
spruce lumber. Already, in fact lumber
| men have turned their attention to thi:
| source. In several towns the writer
| found spruces fourteen to eighteen inche:
in diameter, being taken from area
which ftfty or sixty years ago were cul
tivated fields. Such places of course do
not furnish first class lumber but 1t |!
| understandable and profitable at the pres
| ent prices.
The more progressive lumbermen ap
| preciate the potential wealth which these
| lands possess and they are buying then
| I'D In fact, one of the best investment:
| n Young man can make in this State is Il
put his money into growing spruce trees
| The spruce timberlands are rapidly ap
precating in value. This is natural To-
| the supply is growing less while the de
| mand remains the same. Some interest
| ing examples of this increasing value migh
be given. For instance, tract or lan'
| Of Q 900 acres in the southern part OF TN
State, originally town land. was obtain
| ed by the first party simply by survey
ing It, Later the second party paid $500
for It, The next time II changed hand
| for SO 900 and lately 1t was sold for 10
CO., All this took place within fifty years
| and again, a lumber company recent!
| paid S. 900 for the timber on certain
| farm. A few years ago the whole farm
could have been bought for $3.50.
a certain lumberman quietly Dough
UP spruce lands until he accumulated sew
eral thousands acres. IT Is reported ol
| good authority that he sold his holding
for twelve times as much as he PAID 10
/ them. This man made his fortune simpl.
because he was farsighted enough to APP
| preciate the value Of a growing Spruc
tree. A few years ago n shrewd farme
| in Caledonia county traded COW Tor
timber lot He got enough lumber from
the lot to build him a large new barn, ii
| saws 70 900 feet of balsam and spruce ar
still left, besides enough cordwood to sup
ply him for many years. And this is no
| the whole of the story-The COW had onl
two teats!
The Christmas tree trade has at leas
two important features which ever
farmer should bear In mind. In the frs
place he practically gives his trees away
The disparity between the proXimat
market prices and the intimate marke
price is altogether too great. In the sec
ond place, spruces comprise one of tn
most valuable crops a farmer can raise
They require no cultivation, little or n
care, and at present they are infecte
with no serious parasitic diseases Ca
this be said az any other crop that IN
farmer produces? Properly treated tn
crop can be harvested periodically, but
grows slowly. And there Is the rub. III
farmer thinks ii natures 100 slowly. II
sells his thrifty young spruces becaus
he needs the ready money; he says h
can't afford to wait for them to grow VI
The statement should be put the othe
way Can he afford not TO wait? The
ore slow IL la true. but they are sure