The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-08
VERMONT FOREST WEALTH
Problem Of the Future Writes Allen
M. Fletcher.

for the Vermont commission on the
Conversation of Natural resources
Our forests by reason of mis-man-
agement are so rapidly disappearing
that any estimate of the wealth we
possess in them today will be valuable
tomorrow only as the record of condi-
tons already changed. However
comparison of the condition of our for
ests today with those of so years ago.
shows conclusiyely that if we continue
our present method or lack of method
in dealing with them we shall in an
other so years have few forests on
which to place a value.
Therefore a question of far great
er importance than the value of Yer
mont's forests today is, what her for
ests are to be in the future. And this
suggests both the extent and the
quality of our future forests and whet-
her or not the state and the individual
or both are warranted in attempting
to preserve their present and to in
crease their future productive power.
There are two ways Of increasing
productions: To increase the forest
area by planting, and to increase the
output of the original area by care in
management Now, If a man has an
acre in potatoes and wants a big crop |
would It not be better policy for him |
! by careful cultivation to make sure of |
a good crop on his first acre rather |
than to neglect that acre and plant
! In OIL p.sJc mill
the farmer to resort to planting only
in cases of waste land which is not
reproducing itself by natural meth
DDS.
Some of the benefits to the state
of good forests are Sources of use
full products, conservation of water,
protection against erosion, increased
ability Of the soil to hold water, and
these benefits have been conceded to
be of sufficient Importance to war
, rant the state in adopting an official
policy Of forestry which provides for
acquiring and maintaining state for
ests and for instructng Vermonters in
e forest management.
Let as then consider the benefits
of a good forest policy to individual
owners If every farmer in the state
felt satisfied that in return for proper
: management his forest would assure
: him a yearly revenue how long
would II take him to decide on such a
policy? A great majority of the for
~ ests in this state are in farm wood.
; lots These woodlots should supply
fire wood for the farm and timber for
T. ] fuft he fuk
: or lumber TO bring in little ready
q. money annually and give winter work
= to the farmers team. Any natural
woodlot of average or reasonable size
, would, under proper management, and
/ if not already too badly injured make
5 this return to the farmer; for our soil
+ is one in which the reproduction OF
y trees is natural and rapid.
THE reason so many woodlots do
u not now yield regular dividends is be-
!, cause they have already been injured
q by indiscrimlnate and haphazard cut
II ting Two instances of extreme abuse
II have come to my attention. Ten years
- ago one lot had a fair growth OF
y maple and beech with scattering old
growth spruce; there was an under
growth OF suppressed and scrubby
Z hardwoods well sprnkled with spruce
1 seedlings The large hardwoods and
spruce were cut, some of the small
spruce We're cut because they were IN
the way and more because the chop
pers thought they were in the way
others were taken for pushing" roads
n and the rest for banking houses Last
n year the farmer wanted cord wood tC
,r sell He found the scrubs so tangled
lie in network or hardwood sprouts that
cutting was not a paying proposition
@. The inevitable result is that the lane
ID will be left idle for 10 or Is year.
r while the inferior trees and the in
ierior sprouts battle with each other
pr and after long period without re
ir turn, the farmer will have pool
id growth Of hardwood In this case IN,
much decried 'landskinning' OF tn,
OF lumberman would have been prefer
n. able. for ii would have removed IN,
ID scrub hardwoods or forest weeds anC
given the sprouts chance.
~ Suppose the farmer, with an ey,
for reproduction. had begun ten year
ago by cutting the scrub underground
a. to market as lirewood. then year b,
is year had felled his hard and sof
nv wood logs with care not to disturb tn
TO growing spruce. and sold them 70
of profit; he would now have left a fai
stand OF second growth spruce whicl
II properly managed might continu
= to yield yearly revenue.
Another instance OF mis-manag,
ment. a Christmas tree dealer pei
suaded one farmer 10 sell all spruc
in two pastures for $780, using tn
Do argument that cutting would clea
and improve his pasture Now In tn
. first place the land was too rough an
- wild to be ht for pasture. furthermor
~ the trees were cut so high that the
~ lower limbs still cover as niue
"a ground as before. leaving the land M
"a cleared and the spruce crop ruine
IN. 10000 trees were shipped from n
III. two lots. 4 lumbcrman who sa
a., them loaded estimated that In
years each tree would contain 30 fe,
OF lumber, a total OF 100000 feet
= think. after looking the ground owe
y that half OF the trees might have be,
-, killed or suppressed and that 5000
. feet Is therefore a fairer estimate
present prices the farmers S2l
Christmas trees would then be worl
$4,000. good investment for 20 year
An even larger revenue might como