St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-06-07
undeneloped Vermont

UndeVeloped Vermont
The more one studies conditions
in Vermont the more evident it is
that the business possibilities of the
state are not fully developed. On
every hand one finds opportunities
for development along lines whose
practicability has been demonstrated
elsewhere and no apparent reason
why they canot be successfully under
taken here at home. We wish to
speak of the undeveloped lumber in
terests of the state.
LAUNDERING has been one of the
most important industries of the
state for the last half century and is
often pointed to as one of the re-
sources of the state that is being rap
idly exhausted This is due to the
methods that have been followed.
In numbering, as in agriculture, the
American people have been robbing
the forests and not developing them.
The result is shown in the following
statistics given by the forester.
There are in Vermont approximately
3,719,OOO acres of forest and waste
lands. About five per cent of this
land, or about 185,950 acres,
is virgin forest and is very valuable.
of 1878, $50 acres, is timber land,
more or less culled over or in various
stages of robbery. This land is worth
about half that of virgin forest.
About nifty per cent, or 1859, 500 &C
res, is waste land, land on which
forests have been entirely exhausted
and are worth about one tenth as
much as virgin forests. The total
area of the state is 6,121,640 acres
and approximately one-third of this
about one-third of the area of the
state is in an undeveloped condition
today.
Of course a large proportion of this
land offers more profitable develop
ment along the lines Of forestry than
in any other way. While it is not
probable all of it could be profitably
developed into forest lands a large
proportion of it could. Assuming
that the average value of virgin for
the average value of waste land is
So per acre it will be seen that the
value of one third of the area of Yer
mont could be increased ten fold.
The length of time necessary tc do
this cannot be definitely fixed but pro-
badly on an average the land could
be brought into condition so it would
become productive enough to more
than support itself within fifty years.
The value of the land could be in
creased from four to five fold N the
next half century.
The practicability of such improve
ment is shown by the experience OF
the state forests in Europe where we
showed sometime ago the forests are
paying a yearly profit of about $3.50
per acre. This would be twenty-five
per cent profit on the average value
of virgin forest land IN Vermont to-
day. We know of no other form OF
investment that is surer to prove pro-
fitable than the intelligent develop
ment of Vermont waste and forest
lands. The value of forest land is
sure to increase and it's increase will
be the result Of increased profits from
it. So there can be little risk in
owning this land
Forestry in Vermont is already be-
ing conducted quite successfully.
The Billings estate at Woodstock has
an area equal to whole township
already converted into profitable for
I ests and their value is rapidly increas-
ing. The International Paper COM
\pany has established nursery of its
own at Randolph and is planting
large numbers Of trees yearly. DIR.
William S. Stevens of st. Adams
mas begun the development Of a pro-
itable forest on large estate in
Enosburg, T. N. Vail is conducting
practical forestry on tract of 500
acres and the Vermont Marble Com
pany is preparing for the develop
Inent of a tract Of similar size.
The state forester estimates IT,
n so years from now the state might
have 100000 acres OF state forests