The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-03-26
GENERAL REFRESHING
NOW BEING PLANNED

command. The only question is. How
should these be modified or extended
to best meet American conditions? In
the management of the National For
ests the government is not working
in the dark Nor is it slavishly copy
ing European countries 1t is put
ting into practice, in America, and
for Americans, principles tried and
found correct, which will insure to ali
the people alike the fullest and best
use of all forest resources.
Take the case of Germany. Start
ing with forests which were in as bad
shape as many of our own which
have been reckleSsly cut over, it rails
ed the average yield of wood per acre
from 20 cubic feet in 1880 to 65 cubic
feet in 1904. During the same period
of time it trebled the proportion of
saw timber got from the average cut,
which means, in other words, that
through the practice of forestry the
timberlands of Germany are of three
times better quality to-day than when
no system was used. And in fifty-four
years 1t increased the money re-
turns from an average acre of forest
sevenfold.
In France forestry has decreased
the danger from floods which
threaten to destroy vast areas of fer
tile farms, and in doing so has added
many millions of dollars to the nation
al wealth in new forests 1t has re-
moved the danger from sand dunes
and in their place has created q
property worth many millions of dol
lars. Applied TO the state forests,
which are small in comparison with
tho national Forests Of
it causes them to yield each year
net revenue Of more than 81, 700, 600,
though the sum spent on each acre
for management is over 100 times
greater than that spent on the forests
of the United States.
France and Germany together have
population Of 100000 600, in round
numbers, against our probable 85,-
900, zoo, and state forests OF 14.50O,-
600 acres against our 10000, 900
acres of national forest; but France
and Germany spend on their forests
$11 900, 900 year and get from them
In net returns $3O,000,000 q year,
while the United States spent on the
national forest last year 81 400. 900
and secured a net return of less than
$3.50, 900.
In Switzerland, where every foot
"a ocoAN seFSu 40 VI IlAO
value, forestry has made 1t possible
for the people to farm all land fit for
crops, and so has assisted the country
to support a large population, and one
that is more prosperous, than would
be the case If the valleys were suh-
jected to destructive floods In
country as small as Switzerland, and
one which contains so many high
and rugged mountains, this is a ser
vice the benefits of which can not be
measured in dollars. 1t is in Switzer-
land also, in the Sihwald, that forestry
demonstrates beyond contradiction
how great a yield in wood and money
it may bring about If applied con-
sistently for a number of years
A circular entitled what Forestry
Has Done" is just published by the
Forest Service, and obtainable upon
application to the Forester, Washing
ton, d. c.. reviews the forest work
of the leading foreign countries. The
chief lessons which may be learned
from them are summarized as fol
lows: ofvsh' tE
What forestry has done in other
countries shows, first of all. that for
estry pays, and that it pays best
where the most money is expended in
applying It. The United States is
enormously behindhand in its eXpendi-