The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-02-11
ENGLAND DEV|SES
MODEL PROPOSAL.
ON FOREST WORK

Washington, Feb. 9.-After neg
Letting her forests for hundreds of
years, Great Britain has come 70 the
front with the most far-sghted pro-
posal for forest work and land i'm
provement ever advanced by any ma
. ton in a single plan.
The recommendation just made to
the British Government by the Royal
Commission of Afforestation.. and
Coast Erosion will make England
self supporting in the production Of
tisHber if successfully carried out.
IlIFhe report embraces two separate
proposals, involving the forestation
in one case Of 100000 and in the
other Of 100000 acres. The for
mer proposal calls for the forest
planting of 100000 acres a year for
st1ty years at an annual cost; Of
$4,000 at the beginning to over
$4,000, 900 at the end Of the period.
After the fortieth year, however, the
forest would haze q value of 81, S10,-
100000 which is $685., 100000 in ex-
cess Of the cost Of producing it; and
would yield a net annual revenue of
$87, 100000 or 1913 per acre from
land now barely producing so cents
per acre. While these estimated re-
turns are more than half again as
much as the highly developed forests
OF Saxony yield, it is considerably less
than the net revenue from the his
torlc town forest of Zurich, Switzer-
land, the 5ihlwald. In volume, the
annual estimated wood production
would exceed the present annua!
wood imports to England by 100000
loads"
Great Britain has long been de
pendent upon outside sources for her
wood supplies. =, But the constantly
increasing demand for wood, together
with the overdrawn already made
upon these sources, indicates a WORLD
shortage Of wood unless these coun
tries which now have to import are
able to establish and maintain theril
forest independence and grow the
needed wood at home. Most of the
countries Of Europe have taken care
to keep ND the home wood output By
looking after their forests before the,
were destroyed or hopelessly deDIete;
and managing them for SUSTAINED
annual yield about equal to the de
maud. The British Isles, however
are practically stripped Of Droductiv
forests. II Great Britain is to grow
her.own wood, she will have to begi1
at the beginning, set out the seed
lings on treeless ground and wal
for them to reach marketable size
The Commission recommends tina
this work Of starting future nationa
forests from the seed be undertake
''as sound and remunerative invest
nent.'
There is no question, the reDo,
says, that substantially the anticipat
ed results cap be obtained. Expert
testified before the Commission the
tho production Of timber in Gres
Britain will be more rapid than i
Saxony,' which was selected for con
parison on account Of the close r,
semblancc between the ECONOMIC an
! physical conditions in the two "a,
trias. Yet in Saxony tie net anu
profits per acre from the nation
forests has increased 412 per cent
90 years, mainly, it was testified b
81 cause Of the more systematic al
careful management" The lack
forests In Great Britain is the rest
not of natural conditions, but Il
Z bad national economy. This is fu
d Their proved by the fact that there a
a number Of private forests whic
rs though but indifferently manage
7 are netting their owners handsor