The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-07-10

quately following logging operations,
if fires are kept out. Hence, it is
that an unknown part, perhaps the
greater part, of the non-a agricultural
cut-over lands have reforested thru
natural agencies The rest lies idle
and represents SO much nop-produc-
ing capital. AS additional timber
lands are cut, probably the larger
part of them will reforest naturally.
However, the non-producing land
will be constantly Increased until
eventually Idaho will have a large
area in an idle, deteriorating condi-
tion unless it is taken over and re-
forested by the state, or federal gov
ernment, or unless conditions are
created whereby private capital can
afford to do it. As idle lands, they
are an incumbrance and fire men
ace; if reforested they will again be-
come highly productive.
Fortunately through cooperative
effort on the part of the federal gov
ernment, the state, and private
timber owners, an effective forest
fire protection system is now in pro-
cess of development, and the most of
the timber area of the state is under
some form of fire patrol. All timber
holdings should bear their just share
of the cost of fire control, for all
timber, regardless of ownership, is
community wealth, and its protec-
tion is community responsibility.
But to enable the national gov
ernment and the state to administer
their holdings economically, these
holdings must be blocked in units of
considerable size. On this account,
there will always be large amount
of forest land in small separated
tracts which neither the state nor
the federal government can manage
to advantage These tracts for the
most part will constitute the farm
woodlots, and even though they are
isolated and of limited areas, they
can be handled successfully and very
profitably in connection with the
management of the farm.
The United States census schedules
Of 1910 called for the value in detail
of woodlot products sold from or used
on the farms in 1909 This schedule
included firewood, fencing materials,
logs, railroad ties, telegraph and tele
phone poles materials for barrels,
bark or other forest products.
A total of 4036 farms in Idaho, or
a little over 13 per cent of the farms
in the state used on the farms or
sold in 1909, as having total value
of $1,280,512, or an average of over
$500 per farm
With proper handling the income
from the farm woodlots of Idaho can
be tremendously increased, and no
other class of forest land lends itself
quite so readily to forest manage
II. nj Of
the necessary labor can for the most
part be performed in the winter, or
at other times when the farm work
is slack. The increase in income from
the farm woodlots of Idaho in the
decade from 1899 to 1909 was over
300 per cent.
This paper has pointed out that the
transfer of the permanent forst
land from private to state or federal
control will come about slowly. Mean
while, the individual timber owners
are accommodating large acreage OF
on-agricultural cut-over land, the
amount increasing as logging pro-
gresses Such part of this cut-over
land as is now covered with second
growth forest has a value apart from
the value of the land and it may be
expected that the owners will hold
for a second cut.
AS other timber lands are cut over
a certain percentage can be expected
to reforest through natural means.
With slight extra expense IN logging
the area in new crop could be greatly
increased. But just how far private
capital can go in the matter OF re-
forestation is problematical. Some
where between the cost of holding
land for a second crop, that seeds up
naturally with little or no expense,
and the maximum cost Of holding
where the crop must be established
by artificial means, is dividing line