Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-01-05
The State Pays Half.

Once upon time, intact just about g
year ago according to the State Board Of
forestry, there was a man who lived down
IN Prince Georges county, Md, who had
some full-erown trees to SELL To make a
good story, he should have been very poor
indeed, and have suddenly unearthed a
fortune in his little forest which enabled
him to live happily long afterward. So
mat the most interesting part of the story
is that-and we have the boards word for
1.-THE second half of this sentence is al
most literally true.
A most important phase of the Maryland
State Board of Forestry's activities since
its creation some ten years ago, it should
be said in explanation, has been in the
held OF cooperative forest work. II man
owned 10 or 1000 acres of Maryland wood
land. no matter where it was or in what
condition, that man might avail himself
OF the State Forestry's service in scientifi-
cally improving it. If the stands were old,
past npeness, in fact. he was shown how
to make profitable improvement cutting
in it. and to put it back to normal growing
condition.
Eat to get back to the man with timber
Some time last January the owner of about
10 acres Of good-quality timber lying in
Prince Georges county. in Southern Mary
land, awaited himself of the Boards offer,
and Forester from the Office of the Board,
North Howard Street, Baltimore, visited
the tract. The trees. he saw, were mature
and ready for the ak. Regarding their
value, the owner had no idea, nor whether
they should be cut at all. So the trees
needing REMOVABLE for the good of the younger
specimens around them were selected and
marked by the Forester. and a valuation
placed upon them as they stood. The es-
innate of the number of trees for sale be-
ing sent to list of mill and timber men
furnished by the Forester. it was not a
great while before disposal of them was
made. Some six months subsequent to the
visit of the Forester the marked trees. oak.
and of good quality. were sold for $4,000.
The work had cost the owner, for the ser
vices of the State, $L25.
This occurrence the Board of Forestry
intends to repeat, many times. in 1917.
In probably no other field of specialized
work may qualified experts be secured at
So per day and their expenses 1t is a
small sum, and partly pays for work in the
field, that in the Office required by the
preparation of reports and working up of
data, being free. From figures covering
hundreds of tracts and thousands of acres
it is conclusively shown that the charge
made for actual field work amounts to only
half, or less. of the total cost OF the work.
The rate per diem is not intended to
reimburse the Office Of the Forester for the
good work it is doing. II is aimed rather
at placing this work within the reach of
many wood-lOt and forest owners, enabling
the Board. on its part. to do a greater lot
Of work than could possibly be the case
by using its funds only. This offer now
stands. Through the cooperative way in
which it is done. the State itself is willing
to practically pay half for doing private
work. Those able to take advantage Of
expert assistance on such terms should
be sure to get their half.