The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-17
IS
PRACTICED ABROAD.
Switzerland Began to Develop
and Protect Her Forests
600 Years Ago.
REGULATES THE OUTPUT
MUCH ATTENTION PAID TO CON-
STRUCTION OF ROADS.

Switzerland recognized the benefits
of forest protection and development
600 years ago, when the forest ordi-
nance of Bern was issued The Sihl-
Wald Of Zurich, one of the most perfect
ly managed and most profitable forests
in the world, has been handled under
working plan since 1880. The little Al
pine republic still reports progress in
forest work. and the American consul,
writing from St Gall, says:
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 s1ues,
.purpOsely allowed to become dense. has
perceptibly lessened the danger and fire.
quency of avalauches and landslides,
which i'm former times were so fright
fully destructive. To control the spring
floods i'm the rivers and streams, mas
sive dams, fortified by thickly planted
trees. have been erected at exposed
places. In the extraordinary attention
paid to its timber lands, the government
has taken into account also the neces-
sity for sheltering and pasturiug cat
tie. the maintenance of the SOIL the
roads and the natural springs, climate
and the control Of mountain streams.
switzerlsnd's Forest Area.
"The actual forest area of Switzer-
land comprises 2,205.5OS acres, 21.4S per
cent of the entire surface of the CoUn-
try, 77.OO4 Of which belong to the state
and 212S.504 to the CantOns, 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
% 600 600 young trees were taken and
transplanted in the various forests.
swiss forests are Classed as pro
tected' and 'nOn-prOteCted.' The former
are those which are situated on noun
tain slopes where the imminenCe Of
washouts, stone and ice chutes land
slides and avalanches calls for the con-
slant exercise of extraordinary care
and attention. The non-protected' are
those on comparatively level ground,
requiring only ordinary attention to
keep them in good condition. Because
of the character of the country, the
great majority of the forests are pro- /
tected.
THE law provides that the forest |
area shall not be diminished; and that
all forests shall be maintained in a /
fairly dense condition, even in private |
forests close cutting or clearing up is |
strictly forbidden, especially in ex- /
posed places, without the consent of the /
federal authorities, and then only in .
small areas and when prompt reforesta-
ion is guaranteed. Trees for cutting
are carefully selected by forestry ex-
)erts.
Many Excellent Roads.
Through the forests there are excel
ent roads, made largely by the canto-
ial authorities. The year 1908 was
marked by such activity in road con-
truction that the state, which bears a
proportion of the expense, paid to the /
antOns the sum of S46,634 on their ac-
cunt alone.
Spruce is the most important tree in
he Swiss forests, and then in order OF
heir importance come the white fir,
eech, larch, pine, cypress and a few
Their varieties.
THE principal revenue derived from
he Swiss forests is from the lumber
utput, there being no manufactures Of
7sin, tuTpentine and similar by-prOd-
cts. To offset the cutting, there were
antcd in 1908, %, oct, 225 trees, of which
,,O31,59O were confer and 1904 ,635 de-
duous, and no less than seven tons
seed were sOWn.
Good Financial Returns.
statistics Of the receipts and expend-
ures of all forestry work in the coun-
~. are not available, but a couple of
asses may be cited which show crafty
lg returns. The total receipts from the
ale Of wood in 1908 from 2,421 acres Of
tate forests in the canton of St. Gall ;
re given as S24,457.37 and the expendi-
lres as $z104d, leaving a clear profit |