The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-06
PROGRESS OF SWISS
In Practice Of Forestry Started There
600 Years Ago.


Switzerland recognized the benefits Of
forest protection and development 600
years ago, when the forest ordinance Of
Bern was issued. The siblwald OF ~
rich, one OF the most perfectly managed
and most profitable forests in the world,
has been baudled under working plan
since 1880. The little Alpine republic
still reports progress IN forest work and
the American consul, writing from So.
Gall, saysi--
"The government Of Switzerland has
so carefully regulated the timber output
that it has never been permitted to ex-
coed the natural growth The thick
growth Of timber on the mountain sides,
purposely allowed to become dense, has
percepti6ly lessened the danger aud fire.
quency 81 avalanchas and landslides,
which in former times were 50 fright
fully destructive 70 control the spring
floods in the rivers and streams, massive
dams, fortified by thiekiy planted trees,
have been erected at exposed places. In
the extraordinary atteation paid to its
timber lands, the government has taken
into account also the necessity for shell
tering and pasturing cattle, the main
tenance of the soil, the roads, and the
natural springs, climate and the controi
81 the mountain streams.
"The actual forest area Of Switzer-
land comprises 2,205.5 sos acres, 2l.4S per
cent. Of the entire surface Of the coun-
try II .004 Of which belong to the state
and 2.12S .504 to the canton% communes,
municipalities and private corporations,
Seven hundred and eighty-one acres Of
the state forest are set aside as
nursery. From this nursery in 1908,
over 22,000,000 young trees were taken
and transplanted in the various forests.
Swiss forests are classed as protect
ed and non protected, The former are
those which are situated on mountain
slopes, where the imminence Of washouts,
stone and Ice chutes, landslides and ava
lanches calls for the constant exercise Of
extraordinary care and attention. The
non protected are those on compare
lively level ground, requiring only ordi-
nary attention TO keep them in good
condition Because Of the character Of
the country. the great majority Of the
forests are protected
"The law provides that the forest area
shall not be diminished and that all for
ests shall be maintained IN a fairly dense
condition Even IN private forests, close
cutting or clearing up IS strictly forbid
den, especially IN exposed places, without
the consent Of the federal authorities,
and then only ia small areas and when
prompt reforestation Is guaranteed
Trees for cutting are carefully selected
BY forestry experts
Through the forests there are excel
lent roads, made largely BY the cantonal
The year 1908 was marked
BY such activity in road construction
that the state, which hears a proposition
Of the expense, paid to the cantons the
sum OF S46,834 on their account alone.
Spruce Is the most important tree IN
the Swiss forests. and then in order Of
their Importance come the white fir,
beech, larch. pine, cypress, and few
other varieties
THE principal revenue derived from
the Swiss forests Is from the lumber out.
pnt, there being no manufacture Of resin,
and similar By products. To
Offset the cutting. there were planted In
1908 23,008,225 trees. of which 1901 500
were confer and 5,064 ,835 deciduous, and
no less than seven tons OF seed were
sown
Statistics Of the receipts and expendi-
lures Of all forestry work in the country
are not available, but d couple Of cases
may be cited which show gratifying re-
turns. The total receipts from the sale
Of wood in 1908 from 2,42l acres Of state
forests il the eonfon of ST. Gall are
given as S24.457.ST and the expenditures
as s7,l04sl leaving a clear profit Of
Sl7.352.56. In the forests Of the town
Of Winterthur. amounting to 1888 acres,
the receipts were SOL l7463, and the ex-
penses 1921 ,63450. leaving a act profit Of
S29 rs, or an average profit Of about
Sl042 per acre.
1T II not to be presumed that the I
avenue from the entire Swiss forest |
area can be Appropriated BY taking Al
a basis the earnings Of the ST. Gall Oh
Wintcrthur forests, which have been for
many years under most intelligent and I
excellent management but the universal 1
opinion among forestry officials is that
the Jealous care with which the Swiss
timber lands have been guarded has
vastly benefited both national and can.
tonsl treasures from the financial point
nf view"