The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-17
STATES TIMBER RESOURCES
Forestry Department Making InVen
tory of Wild Land.

One Of the tasks laid on the State
officers by the last General Assemb-
ly, was the presentation on July /,
1914 OF an inventory OF all State
property. In order to have ready an
accurate estimate of the State For
ests, an assistant has been employed
by the Forester, in going over these
lands in a scientific way. The fol-
lowing four forests have been com
pleted: Joseph Battell Forest in
Huntington and Duxbury; l.. X.
Jones Forest in Plainfield; George
Aitkin Forest in Mendon; and the
newly acquired tract in Arlington.
The total area of these forests is
approximately 5000 acres; and it is
estimated that there is about 1900
600 feet of lumber; 1000 railroad
ties; and 5000 cords of wood on
them. The lumber is chiefly of
spruce, balsam and birch; the rail-
road ties chestnut and cak; and the
wood of birch beech and maple.
over half of the lumber is on the
Cancels Hump tract, which was Civ
en- the State by Col. Battell, and
as a park by the people of the State
and from abroad. There undoubted-
ly should be good trail up through
this timber, which is some of the
best remaining in the State. The
present trails, both from Bolton and
Duxbury, are almost entirely in UNI
interesting burned areas.
IL is The plan of the Forestry De-
1t is the plan of the Forestry De
forests as models of good business
management, similar to the forests
of Germany. The inventory, such
as that just made, is the first step
necessary in any business. The
European plan is to derive an an
nual income from the forests by
cutting the mature and interior TIM
Der. thus making room for better
and faster growing trees. No more
is removed, however, in a given per-
iod than grows during that same
period. AS soon as studies, now UNI
der way by the Vermont Agricul-
tural Experiment Station, are com
pleted, it will be possible for land
owners to accurately determine the
annual growth of timber on their
lands. No trees are cut on any OF
the State Forests except those mark
ed under the direction OF the Fores-
ter. These are either sold standing.
or are out under contract. As IL is
often difficult to sell stumpage un-
der restrictions OF this kind. more
usual way is to have the lumber and
wood contracted. On account OF
lack of funds, no operations of this
kind can be carried on at present,
and the forests cannot serve their
full demonstration purpose. II
money is made available for this
purpose. it will. of course. be re-
turned to the State Treasury with
p'ofit as soon as the material cut has
been sold.
The estimating mentioned above
was done by Mr.. II. l.. Ames. of Is
land Pond. who graduated from the
University Of Vermont and State Ag-
ricultural College in 1911. Mr..
Ames specialized in forestry during
his agricultural course. and since
graduation has had wide experience
with lumber companies and others
IN forestry work. There are few
courses in College which fit men to
earn money on the side better than
one which gives them a knowledge
OF timber estimating. since there is
a growing demand for information OF
this kind. II should also be a part
of every young farmers training.
The method pursued in estimating
the State Forests. was TO measure
the diameters Of the trees with cali
pers on strips amounting to FIVE
per cent Of the total area: and the
heights Of some OF the trees with a
hypsomeier. a small German instru-
ment. From volume tables. which
give the average contents Of trees
of different sizes. IL is possible with
the above data to arrive at a very
accurate estimate