St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-01-05
Value of Forests.
Timber is the Most Productive to the own.
ers Kept Standing.

ers Kept Standing.
The advantage IN the preservation of
our forests from the aesthetic and public
utility point OF view is now beyond the
need OF argument. 1t remains to con-
vince the individual landowners of the
direct gain to them i'll allowing them to
stand
The sole object now of cutting our for
ests is to convert their stumpage value
into cash; since the land suitable for til
lage has been already mostly cleared.
Money is worth Ave per cent We make
the point that timber, lett to grow, is
worth, at least, fifteen per cent, and offer
the following proof.
Money at interest doubles itself in
about Ii years. L he stumpage value of
standing timber. aside from the matter
of increase IN value from growth, has
doubled IN value during the last seven
years, and the prospect ahead is fully
as bright. Here alone is ten per cent.
No one will Iquestion but what the
average growth is at least five per cent
This gives the desired result of Is per
cent increase to let our timber stand.
The increase in stumpage value of
course applies to all woodland. matured
or unmatured as regards growth, the
yearly increase to quite all OF them ALSO
since the amount OF virgin forest, as yet
untouched, els, comparatively. very
small: and with that, even, there is a
ten per cent gain to let it alone. The
fact should be strongly impressed upon
the minds of all land holders that the
growth of all living trees is proportion
ed, as rule. according to their size,
Every live tree, suitable for lumber,
forms new ring of growth, each year,
upon the outside. Now the larger the
tree, the more productive the new ring
of growth, not only in quantity but,
also, in quality since TIE servicable clear
stock, which has double stumpage value,
is confined, almost entirely, to the
larger trees. Hence we should not cut
trees simply because they are large.
Decaying trees. and trees of minor COM
merclal value which obstruct the growth
of those more valuable, it may be we'll
to cut.
The danger from fire to the woodlands
of Vermont is now almost entirely elimi-
nated and does not exceed the danger
to money at interest from default of pay
ment. And even lands where there is
only prospective cut of timber many
years ahead, now have a ready cash
value either for sale or mortgage; and
this value is now in many places. three
times what it was eight years ago.
Money at five per cent interest is
supposed to be taxed to its full amount.
Our standing timber, as a rule, is not
taxed to over half of its stumpage value.
And the sentiment is strongly developing
to remove even that as an inducement to
the owners to allow it to remain on
account of its utility for watershed and
scenic purposes.
The indescribable charm, the beauty,
the grandeur, of our forests, among
which have spent he happiest hours Of
my life, from early youth up. / say moth
ing about. That is g sentiment" and l
must let it alone. But when Death
visits my bedside, it is among my chief
ambitions that l shall feel the inward
consciousness, that, in whatever else
have failed have done my level best to
insure to posterity the healthful, life
giving benefits of our grand old woods.
M. ]. HAPGooD.
Peru, Vermont Dec. 25, 1909.