Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-02-16
ENGLISH
FOREST
POLICY

After neglecting her forests for
hundreds OF years. Great Br.tasn
has come TO the front with the most
a-sighted proposal for forest work
and land improvement ever advane-
ed by any nation In single plan.
The recommendation just made
10 the British royernnent by the
royal commission on sfforestation
and coast erosion will mako England
self support ng in tho production of
timber IL successfully carried out.
Tho report embraces two separate
proposals. invodving the forestat4on
In one case OF 5000, 900. and IN tn.
other Of 100000 acres. Tho for
mer proposals. calls for the forest
p antlng OF 10000 acres year for
sixty years at an annual cost of
s450,0O0 at the beginning to over
$15,000,000 at the end OF the Pc
Rod. After the fortieth year, how
ever, the forest would lave a value
of $2,S10.000.00O, which fs $685.
100000 in excess OF the cost of pro-
ducing IT, and would yield : net
annual revenue of $780, 600 OF
1913 per acre from land now bare
ly producing so cents per acre.
While these estimated returns are
more than half again as much as the
highly developed forests of Saxony
yield, 1t is considerably less than the
net revenue from the / storic town
Gore-t of Zurich, Sw1t ,erland, the
Sihlwald. In volume, the annual es-
timated wood production would x
coed the present annual wood i'm
ports to England by SO 700 loads.
Great Britain has Ling been de-
ndent upon outside sources for
her wood supplies. But the con
stantiy increasing demand for wood.
together with the overdran already
made upon these sources, indicates
a world shortage of wood unless
those countries which now have TO
Import are able to establish and
maintain their forest dependence
and grow the needed VIC ID at home.
Most Of the countries Of EUROPE have
taken care TO keep VI the home
wood Output by look nf after Their
forests before they are estroyed or
hopelessly dep eted, an managing
them for a sustained annual yield
about equal TO the lie laad The
Br fish Isles. however, practical
iy str pped OF productlv forests. If
Great Britain is to gre W her own
wood, she will have to Deg at the
beginning, set out the ceilings on
tree ess ground. and walt for them
to reach marketable size. The com
mission recommends that this work
OF starting future national forests
from the seed be undertaken "as
sound and remuneratlye inve9t-
ment."
There Is no question the report
says, that substantially the antlci-
pated results can be obtained. tx
perts testified before the commission
that "the production OF timber in
Great Britain Will be more RAPID
THAI in saxony," which was selected
for comparison on account Of the
close resemblance between the eco
nomic and physical conditions In the
tws countries. Yet in saIony the
net annual profits per re from the
national forests has Increased 412
per cent IN 90 years n ainsy Il was
te tilted, because OF "tl more sys-
tomato and careful n lnagement. -
The lack Of forests IN Great Brit
/ ain Is the result not OF natural con-
ditions but OF bad national economy.
This Is further proved by the fact
that there are a number Of private
forests which, though but indirer.
W. -----e