Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-02

ten years old also has bearing upon
the value of the grove. Most acres are
planted with 800 to 1900 plants, some OF
which do not grow properly, ana Willch
it is not practical to replace. At Two
years of age there should be 600 to Ioo
thriving trees of the average size
Trees that are weaklingS should then
be cut out. They cannot amount to
ANYTHING and they tend to exhaust the
soil. When the trees are being grown
for lumber, timber, poles, pies. etc,
there should be two or three addltlonal
cuttings between the ages of two ana
ten years for the purpose of taking out
the weaklings or the excessively large
trees and the total number of trees re
duced to about 500. BY this method
a grove at ten years of age will contain
trees which will average more than the
present state average of eleven inches
by ninety two feet, and will therefore
contain greater number of board feet
and will be of greater value.
Measurements secured by this society
indicate that commercial plantations
of the rapid growing varieties average
two to four inches in diameter in eX-
cess of the number of their years, pro
viding they have the advantages of
good soil and abundant water, and are
cultivated and properly thinned out
In other words, plantations which are
forced along, grow more than an men
a year in diameter. at four years the
average is found to be about SIX
inches, at six years the average is
eight to nine inches at eight years ten
to eleven inches and at ten years
twelve to fourteen inches. The slower
growing species add about one inch in
diameter per year under ordinary con-
ditions, but it is possible to secure COM
binations of climate, soil and care that
will force the slower species up to the
average of the rapid growing ones, but
not up to the maximum of the fast
growers.
In placing a valuation upon euca-
Iyptus plantation the basis for figuring
should be the value of the lumber con-
tained in the trees. The prices of tele-
phone poles, piling, fence posts, rail-
road ties and fuel are based upon the
board feet measurements. In selling
the product of a grove the owner Will.
of course, figure to dispose of it for
purpose which will pay the highest
price, consequently he will be unwilling
to sell for any purpose at lower
price than the timber is worth as
lumber.
The quantity of timber in trees of
different basic diameters is a much
disputed question, because there is
such a wide difference in the shapes
of the trees and still greater discrep-
ancies in the various log tables used
by lumbermen.
The price at which eucalyptus lum-
ber can be sold ten years hence is
somewhat problematical. owing to the
rapid decrease of hardwood and the
constantly advancing prices. Present
prices are taken as a basis from which
to figure the present values of groves.
The different varieties of eucalyptus
lumber vary somewhat in price. The
kinds used for interior finish, furniture,
cabinet work, ETC., bring higher prices
than the varieties used in heavy con-
struction, agricultural implements, etc
1t is ascertained that the present retail
price of finished eucalyptus lumber is
S125 to $140 per thousand; eucalyptus
flooring $100 to $110; dimension timber
used in wagon construction, farming
implements, ETC., $50 to $100.
The stumpage prices now being paid
for standing timber vary in accordance
with location and shipping facilities.
Lumbermen concede that $25 per thou
sand feet is fair unless the timber be