The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-02-18
WHAT STATE FORESTRY CAN DO
FOR TIE LOCAL TIMBER OWNERS
s Two Hundred Per Cent Profit from
Forest Land.

8 Two Hundred Per Cent Profit from
Forest Land.
In addition to encouraging the re-
clamation Of lands within the State
through planting forest trees, the
State Board of Forestry is, in a great
number of cases, cooperating with
timber owners for the improvement of
their forest lands. Where this is done
the timber which Is ready for the axe
is sold at fair price, the logging oper-
ations are conducted in such way that
the removal of the trees which are
mature is not Injurious to the younger
trees that are left, and the whole stand
is put in a better producing condition
than ever before. Emphasis can best
be given this, and the work itself ex-
planned, by citing a case in point.
In May, 1914, the State Forester at
Baltimore was visited by a gentleman
owning $50 acres of wooded land in
Anne Arundel county. 1t was an old
stand OF mixed hardwoods. The chest
nut was being rapidly killed by the
blight. large share of the trees of
other species were becoming over
mature, and the stand as whole much
in need of an Improvement cutting.
Approaching this, the owner was con
sidering the sale of his merchantabla
trees, for which he had already received
what he considered fair offer.
Before selling, however, he wished to
have the opinion of a skilled Forester
on the advisability of cutting over the
tract. The State Forester accordingly
went over the land with him, and it
was pointed out that for very small
sum this timber might be thoroughly
covered by expert Foresters, the de-
fective, diseased, and mature trees
marked for removal, and a correct estl-
mate secured as to the amount and
value of the timber to be taken out.
This the owners agreed to have done,
and party of three men was sent from
the Forester's Office to do the work. In
this connection it may be added that
men with special training are furnished
to local landowners at a cost of 81 per
day, the man in charge So, in addition
to travelling expenses and maintenance
during the duration of the job The
property in question. $50 acres, was
completely gone over in six days time,
the mature trees calipered, tailed and
marked. One blaze, about four feet
above the ground, clearly indicated the
marked trees, while the other, as near
+Na ground as possible and bearing
stamped letter IN" served as a check,
making sure that only trees so marked
were cut.
The total expense to the owner was
$55.34 for the results of field work are
tabulated and summed up free of charge
in the office at Johns Hopkins Uni
versity, Baltimore. The estimate of
the trees marked were mimeographed,
and this statement, showing the Ioca-
ton of the tract with kinds and amount
of timber, was sent out from the State
Forester's Office to several hundred
sawmill men in the same locality, who
would be more likely to take an in
terest in the purchase of the wood and
timber
-Four months from the time the pre-
liminary examination was made, and
three after the making had actually
been done, the timber had been sold. 1t
was sold for more than three times the
amount originally offered, and with the
purchase the buyer gave a written
guarantee that in the removal of the
old timber every reasonable precaution
would be used for the protection of the
young.
Such work, an object lesson in good
management and economy, is of value
to the community; it is of substantial
and lasting improvement to the forest;
and the financial profit to the owner is
not the least of the benefits derived.
The State Board of Forestry since then
has been engaged in many similar un-
dertakings, and the work has been
highly advantageous to the owners. 1t
is in position to take up additional
work of this nature, and is prepared to
extend real assistance by experts to
Maryland woodland owners in the i'm
proving, marketing and handling of
their timber.