The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-11-05
RFFORFSTATION OF TIMBER LAND
Observations of a Practical Timberman-
Forty Years to Produce Stand of
MerchantabIe Timber

at the present rate Of cutting; and, as
the rate of consumption will undoubt-
edly increase, it would seem that our
only hope Of supply for future gener-
ations is in growing more trees.
The question of conserving and pro-
tecting our forests and raising another
crop of timber TO take the place of the
one we are now cutting and destroying
is purely an economic one, and is not
governed by academic theories. Hence
we will conserve and protect our pres
ent forests, plant and raise new crop
of trees on our logged-off lands as soon
as we find out that it pays to do so.
The writer remembers doing a lot Of
hard work, in early life, along with many
others, destroying our forests that We
might raise grain and garden truck to
eat, and hay for our stock; and why?
Because those things to US had value,
and trees had none. We could not eat
them and nobody wanted to buy them.
But mark the change today. The trees
have value; our forests are at the pres
ent time one of the chief sources of
wealth to the states along the Pacific
coast, and where the conditions for re-
foresting are SO favorable they can be
made source of wealth for all time to
come. But as approximately only 20
per cent of the standing timber OF the
country is in the hands of the govern
ment and about 80 per cent under
private ownership, the question of refor-
estation presents some serious diff
culties.
What is the age of our present for
ests? What are the means to be en-
ployed to reforest our logged-off lands?
What length OF time will it take? What
benefits can be derived? And then the
great question--Will it pay?
To the first question l would answer,
from 100 to 400 years. The national
government is at the present time gath
ering the data to answer questions two
and three.
The writer has made some observa-
tions regarding the growth of timber,
which lead him to believe that growing
timber will pay. l have found trees 135
years old 50 inches in diameter on the
stump, that cut over 5000 feet of mer-
chantable lumber. The annual growth
showed these trees were "a inches on
the stump at 40 years, and at that time
should cut 900 feet of lumber. From
my observations, extending over sew
eral sections of timber, 100 trees, 10
to 18 inches in diameter can be grown
on each acre in 40 years, and these will
make $4,000 feet of merchantable lum-
Der. These same trees will cut IS, 900
feet at the end of 125 years. The ques-
ton is, What will be the value OF this
$4,000 feet of timber grown on an acre
in 40 years, or the $4,000 feet grown
on an acre in 125 years? I will hazard
a guess that $4,000 feet of standing
timber will be worth So per thousand in
40 years, and that an acre OF land
planted to fir trees will earn Sc per year
for the entire period, not counting the
small trees that can be taken out and
utilized for wood, posts and poles dur
ing the forty years.
I do not think there is any use to
which we can put our mountainous,
rocky, logged-off lands that will yield as
much wealth-though to the individual
40 years is long time to wait for a
harvest; but not long to the state or
nation.
To my mind the phase of the ques-
ton that presents the most serious diff
culties is the problem of taxation. /
have no hesitation in saying that our
present system of taxation, particularly
regarding growing timber, is all wrong.
l do not propose to discuss the matter
as to whether the timber interests have
paid too much or too little of the taxes
in the past or at the present time; but
system that does not tax the growing
crops of the farmer, the gardener, OF
the fruit grower, and taxes the growing
crop of timber over and over, and at a
rate that will confscate the entire crop
in 80 to IS years, when it takes from
40 10 100 years TO raise this crop, Is
certainly open to valid objection. AS q
substitute for our present system OF tax
ing timber, based on values, l would
advocate cutting tax, to be paid when
the timber is cut; a portion OF this tax
to be set aside to bear the expense oi
reforestation by the state; and a portion
to pay the expense Of protecting oui
present forests from fire and depreciation
I shall not attempt in this short article
to enter into details Of such scheme.
l am told on good authority that raising
trees by the state or national govern
ment pays in European countries. /
so, why not here on our western coast
where the conditions are almost idealF
I am told that Germany spends severa