Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-03-03
ExcLAxD.s LUMBER SUPPLY.
English Commission Outlines Far
sighted Forest and Land Policy.

English Commission Outlines Far
sighted Forest and Land Policy.
After neglecting her forests for hun
dreds OF years, Great Britain has come to
the front with the most far-sighted prp-
possl for forest work and land improve
ment ever advanced by any nation in
single plan.
The recommendations just made to the
British government by the royal commits
sion on sfforestation and coast erosion
viii make England self-supporting in the
ried out.
The report embraces two separate pro-
posals. involving the forestation in one
case OF 100000. and in the other of
S,0o0,o00 acres. The former proposal calls
for the forest planting OF 10000 acres q
year for sixty years at an annual cost OF
sl50,ooo at the beginning to over $4,000 at
the end OF the period.
After the fortieth year, however, the
forest would become seif-supporting.
After eighty years, the forest would have
value of s2,sio,o O0, 200, which is s5s5, Co.,
600 IN excess OF the cost OF producing it,
and would yield net annual revenue OF
So 200, or 1918 per acre from land
now barely producing 50 cents per acre.
While these estimated returns are more
than .alf again as much as the highly
developed forests OF Saxony yield, it is
considerably less than the net revenue
from the historic town forest OF Zurich,
Switzerland, the Sihlwald. In volume, the
annual estimated wood production would
exceed the present annual wood imports
to England by SOC, 900 ..loadsn.
Great Britain has long been dependent
upon outside sources for her wood supplies.
But the constantly increasing demand for
wood, together with the overdrain already
made upon these sources, indicates Q
world shortage OF wood unless those coun-
tries which now have to import are able to
tablish and maintain their forest indie
pendence and grow the needed wood at
home.
Most OF the countries OF Europe have
taken care to keep up the home wood out
put by looking after their forests before
they were destroyed or hoplessly depleted,
and managing them for sustained annual
yield about equal to the demand. The
British Isles, however, are practically
stripped OF productive forests.
II Great Britain is to grow her own
wood, she will have to begin at the Begin
ming, set out the seedlings on tree.ess
ground, and wait for them to reach
marketable size. The commission recon-
mends that this work OF starting future
national forests from the seed be under
taken ssas sound and remunerative in
There is no question, the report says,
can be obtained. Experts testified before
the commission that '.the production OF
timber in Great Britain will be more rapid
than in Saxony", which was selected for
on account OF the close re-
sembiance between the economic and
conditions in the two countries.
Yet in Saxony the net annual profits per
acre from the national forest has increased
4l2 per cent. in ninety years, mainly, il
was testified, because OF ssthe more sys-
tematrc and careful management" The
lack of forests in Great Britain is the re-
suit, not OF natural conditions, but OF bad
national economy. This is further proved
by the fact that there are number OF pri-
vate forests which, though but indiffer-
entity managed, are netting their owners
handsome revenues.
The proposal OF the commission is
interesting to Americans in
view OF the fact that the measures that
are now being proposed in the United
States are SO much simpler and less ex-
pensive. In this country the forests are
already on the ground. All that is
necessary is to bring them to q state of
full productiveness.
The present annual production of forests
in the United States is scarcely more than
twelve cubic feet per acre OF all kinds OF
wood. The centuries OF experience in
Switzerland and France show
that the same kind of land will grow three
to eight times as much wood under wise
forest management. Protection and prop
ar cutting begun now and steadily fol-
lowed as policy will keep America from
point, where, like Great
Britain, it will be necessary, except in the |
prairie region, to start the forests Of the
future from the seed, and wait for them to ,
grow.
A 1.-THE of the great outlay which the |
British commission contemplates would |
easily guarantee this country's forest in
dependence for all time. And the wood
needed each year could be got out of the |
forests right along.
Chicken Broth.