The Minneapolis journal., 1906-04-30
MOULD REFOREST
CUT.OVER LANDS
TIMBER EXPERT MAKES EsTI-
MATE OF GROWTH.
Figures Based on Count of Saplings
on Sparsely Stocked Acre Show that
Could Be Made to Yield Immense
Revenues.

Samuel B. Green Of the faculty OF the
state college of agriculture, has been
making some calculations as to the
value of the second growth of timber
on cut-over lands in the state. He Wis,
ited the Fond du Lac reservation and
made estimates OIL the ground as to the
results from new timber production
that might be expected in q stated time,
taking q most conservative basis for
calculation. He believes that not less
than l0,000,000 acres, of little value for
agricultural purposes, would become
valuable if grown to timber
"Your editorial on state forest re-
serves said Professor Green to T h e
and timely suggestion.
. Valuable Only for Trees.
"There, is an enormous area in this
acres, that is of little if any value for
agriculture, and yet would produce a
good return if kept in forests. It may
be laid down as a general principle of
political economy that land should be
used for those crops which will conduee
most to the welfare Of the people. This
would mean that land best adapted to
agriculture should be used for agricul-
y
for forestry. -,.
Recently I visited the Fond du Lac
reservation with the manager of one, Of
the largest lumber companies in Min
| nesota, and looked over the reproduc-
tion on this land, which was cut over
and thoroly burned about eighteen
years ago. There were left a few seed
trees of white and Norway pine, and
these have brought about satisfactory
seeding of the land, and there is now a
nice growth on it varying from two to
ten feet high, and from a few to six
ten years OF age.
| Computing the Value.
"The question came up as to what this
reproduction would be worth in thirty
poorly stocked and found something
over five hundred seedlings on it. 9th,
| er acres had two or three times as
many.
As a basis Of calculation we found
that the growth on these trees for the
last six years had been about one-thir6
of an inch in diameter, and the height
growth from twelve to eighteen inches
year. Upon this as the basis for oul
calculations (and other observations
bear us out in this), we estimated that
years, stand Of about 400 trees al
acre, averaging twelve inches in diam
eter at breast height. Such trees woult
would make two saw logs each, or sOt
logs an acre and would probably Tu1
about twenty logs to the thousand. On
this basis the yield would be abou
10000 feet board measure an acre.
@fzBut as ther is always a chance 70
error in such calculations, suppose W
cut the estimate directly in the middle
which would make the yield 10000 fee
an acre in thirty years. Such materia
purposes, and would be worth $12
thousand, or $240 an, acre.
tr New England Experience.
<1rhis was on land Of second an
!, third quality, which could not be ez
pected to produce anything like th
same value in agricultural crops. /
this connection it should be noted tha
white pine in New England, under der sin
: board measure in forty-five, years.
"The most discouraging featur
! about such propositions is the fact tha
: our tax laws are so framed as to dii
: courage the holding Of land for :fores
! purposes; but since forests are of MOI
benefit to the state than general agr
cultural crops, from the fact that s
MANY of our state industries are d,
| pendent upon them for their existenc
. and for their effect on soil water,
It would seem as if the state ought to /
S willing to put them in special elas
8 for taxation in order to encourage tt
q ,,eo of 10 nd for c,1ch purnnsna -