The independent-reporter., 1909-12-16
SWISS T|MbERLANDS
WELL GUARDED
National Treasury Vast :
ly Benefited
Lessons for America 10 Learn In For
estry.

switzerland recognized the Denenti
of forest protection and development
600 years ago when the forest ordl.
nance of Bern was issued. The Sihl-
valid of Zurich. one of the most per
fectly managed and most profitable
forests in the world. has been handled
under a working plan since 1850,
The little Alpine republic still reports
progress In forest work. and the Am
erican consul writing from st. Gall
says:
The government of Switzerland
has so carefully regulated the timber
output that it has never permitted to
exceed the natural growth. The
thick growth of timber on the noun
tain sides, purposely allowed to be-
come dense, has perceptibly lessened
the danger and frequency of avalan-
ches and landslides, which In former
times wehe SO frightfully destructive.
To control the spring floods in the
rivers and streams, massive 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 necessity
for sheltering and pasturing cattle,
the maintenance of the soil, the roads,
and the natural springs, climate, and
the control of mountain streams.
THE actual forest area of Switz
erlad comprises 2,205,508 acres, 21.4S
per cent of the entire surface of the
country 77,004 of which belong to the
state and 2,128,504 to the cantons,
communes, municipalities, and private
corporations. Seven hundred and
eighty-one acres of the state forest
are set aside as a nursery. From this
nursery in 1908 over 22,000,000 young
trees were taken and transplanted in
the various forests.
Swiss forests are classed as pro-
tected' and 'non-protected.' The form
er are those which are situated on
mountain slopes where the imminence
of washouts, stone and ice chutes,
landsldes and avalanches calls for
the constant exercise of extraordinary
care and attention. The 'non-protect-
ed are those on comparatively level
ground requiring only ordinary at
tention to keep them in good condi-
ton. Because of the character of
the country, the great majority of the
forests are protected
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 pri-
vate forests close cutting or clearing
up Is strictly forbidden, especially In
exposed places, without the consent
of the federal authorities, and then
only in small areas and when prompt
reforestation is guaranteed. Trees for
cutting are carefully selected by for
estry experts.
Through the forests there are ex-
cellent roads, made largely by the
cantonal authorities The year 1908
was marked by such activity in road
construction that the state, which
bears a proportion of the expense,
paid to the cantons the sum of $46,-
634.00 on their account alone.
Spruce is the most important tree
in the Swiss forests, and then in or
der of their Importance come the
white fir, beech, larch, pine, cypress,
and a few other varieties.
THE principal revenue derived
from the Swiss forests, is from the
lumber output, there being no manu-
factures of resin, turpentine, and SIM
liar by-products. To offset the cut
ting, there were planted In 1908 23,-
O96,225 trees, of which 18,031 $50 were
confer and 5,064,635 deciduous, and
no less than seven tons of seed were
sown.
statistics of the receipts and ex-
penditures of all forestry work In the
country are not available, but cou-
pie of cases may be cited which show
gratifying returns. The total receipts
from the sale of wood in 1908 from
2421 acres of state forests in the can
ton of ST. Gall are given as $24, 4,457.37
and the expenditures as $7,104.81,
leaving a clear profit of $17,352.56. In
the forests of the town in Winterthur,
amounting to 1888 acres the receipts
were $51,17463 and the expenses $21,-
634.5O, leaving net profit of $685.
540.13, or an average profit of about
$1042 per acre.
ut is not be presumed that the rev.