Williams news., 1907-06-08
PROFIT IN PLANTED FOREST

Both soil and climatic conditions in Illinois are favorable. to tree growth, as is we'll shown by the fact that over 1S0 species are found and many introduced species thrive. Comparatively few species however-those which will furnish posts or poles at an early age-can be grown on the better classes of soils in competition with better farm crops.
 During a recent field season the forest service made field study to ascertain the kinds of trees best adapted to planting in the prairie sections of the state. Over 100 plan ions were examined snc more than 10000 trees were measured as basis for determin- ing the rate of growth and the value of the plantation. The yield of posts or poles per acre was com puted for the plantations examined and conservative prices wert assigned in order to find thei, present value. Detailed results and consequent recommendations are embodied in Circular .S1 of the Forest Service, Forest Planting ir Illinois," which will be sent fret upon application to the Forester, United States Department of Agri culture, Washington. D. c.
 Plantations which show a net annual income of three per cent of $4 an acre or more are regarded as commercially successful. Judged by this standard, the only species which would have paid throughout are catalpa, with an average return of $5.1S per acre, and larch, with a return of $43S per acre.
 With catalpa. 10 plantations out of 15 whose products were com puted have paid more than $4 per acre, while two of these have paid $9.35 and $16.7O respectively. Though the average indicated re- turn from catalpa is but little more than that from larch, it is often preferable to plant catalpa. It grows trif1e faster, can be utilized for posts and holes at a smaller size, and its wood is more durable. Besides, catalpa will grow we'll on ground that Is too wet for ]arch, or which is flooded so often that sue cess with farm crops is uncertain
 Of the Is larch plantations ex amined, 10 have paid more than $4 per acre, and of these two have paid more than $7 per acre. This indicates that if market develops for larch posts and poles, as seems likely, planting larch will at least be-as prof able as raising ordinary farm crops.
 Because Osage orange has been planted. mainly for hedges it's value as plantation tree has been passed over. That it is unsurpassed in soil adaptability and in hardness has been amply demonstrated. The only danger lies in the northern part of the state, where 1t is likely to winterkill. The two Osage orage plantations examined show an average annual income of $3 .12 per acre, a sum which undoubtedly could have been-increased had the original spacing been closer. There IS good reason to believe that Osage orange will pay on ground which is unsuited to catalpa or larch and which, at the same time, will not bring a proper return from farm crops.
 The average return from black walnut is low, since this tree re qulres many years to reach a size  profita ble to cut. It is true that one 2O-year-old grove shows an annual income of $2O5 per acre, but this is computed for posts. and no owner of walnut grove. is like ly to cut for these. Two groves in Whiteside and Morgan counties show annual incomes of $366 and $3.32 per acre, respectively, at the end of forty nine and sixty-four years. These, however, are by far the best walnut groves measured Even under the best conditions walnut requires at least fifty years 10 reach a profitable cutting size, while in one hundred years the profit should be much larger Few DerSODS hOwaver arc Iikelv tO