The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-04

shrunken rivers in the drouth sea-
son.
So the first product Of Importance
of the nations western forest hold
ings, which we call our nations for
est, is water. Two other major pro-
ducts are, as you would naturally
suppose, wood, and as you might not
suppose, grass.
About the grass, a word presently.
For the wood, that and the water go
pretty we'll together. BY looking out
for the wood we to a large degree
look out for the water also. For, ex-
cept in limited degrees and under
exceptional conditions, the protection
Of stream flow does not call for the
prohibition of numbering, but only for
the proper regulation of numbering.
BY taking the natural crop of trees
from the ground in such a way that
another crop will Immediately follow,
we maintain the forest while using it.
Indeed, we not only maintain but i'm
prove it, for the forestry can grow a
much better forest for mans use
than unaided nature usually supplies.
There was cut from the national for
ests in 1908 about 500, 000, 900 board
feet of timber. OF this over 100, 0O0,-
900 was given away, in small guam
titles, in free use to the people who
are building up the country in the
face of the difficulties which confront
the pioneer. The remaining 400, 000,-
600 was sold on the stump, and net
ted the government land bear in
mind, that means YOU about $1,000
900, or an average stumpage price
of about $3.50 per thousand. l think
you will agree this is not a bad price
for timber much of which is far from
market.
Through fire and other causes, some
of which we only imperfectly under
stand, great parts of the national for
est areas are grass-producing. Of
ten-times succeeding burns have
stripped the forests utterly from the
land, leaving open "parks," very like
hay meadows surrounded by wood
In other regions, and especially in
the southwest, the trees grow sparse
ly, with much room between them
This is due to deficient moisture sup
ply. There is not water enough for
all the trees that would like to
grow. Hence the opportunity for size
| grazing industry in the national for
ests. Under proper regulation, stock
can be driver into these national
forests Is md their summe living
Last year the government took in for
you more than $1,0O0,00O for grazing
privileges on the forests, and over
100000 sheep and 10000 cattle
and horses fed in the forests and
grew beef, mutton and wool for the
eastern markets.
But this property of the nations is
on the whole an undeveloped prop
erty. It's period Of high productive
ness will come later, when railroads
and the increase in population has
opened up the country and created a
greater demand for the timber. In
foreign countries the governments
which own forests make an annual
| profit of So, SO, or even So an acre
from their forest lands, but to get
this profit they must also spend heav.
lily. Our outlay is less than two cents
to the acre and our national forest
force supplies about one field man tc
every 125,000 acres of land to be
cared for, yet eve so they are doing
magnificent work in protecting and
developing these forests. Altogether
our national forest force is a little
but very effective army of about 1900
men. l think you have a right to be
proud of the work they are doing for
you.