The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-09-10

ests. Yet, during the last zen years
# has been unable to purchase more
than a few hundred acres each year.
There was a time, during the oos
and COS, when it was able to phr-
chase privately owned forests quite
readily. and during that period 1t
did purchase a considerable area OF
such forests. Yet in spite OF these
purchasing campaigns, and In spite
of the considerable area which has
remained in State or community
ownership since feudal times, the
public now owns less than one
| fourth of the forests. This situa-
ton indicates that private ownership
is successful.
| "An American may quite fairly
ask, As forestry being practiced on
this great area of privately owned
forest?' and one can truthfully
answer. Yes And how does it
happen that forestry is being prac-
ticed upon them? In the great
majority of cases it is not because
the practice of forestry has been re.
uuired by law-for the practice OF
even a rough form of forestry mas
been required by law since 1871.
Forestry is being practiced because
the majority of forest owners have
found it worth while, from a finan-
cial point of view, practice Tor
estry.
; Logging, as a commercial opera
ton, has been carried ON in the
southwestern part of the country fol
, at least a thousand years.. In the
, northern part, however, it has beer
carried on for only about hundred
years-a shorter period than ha:
logging been carried on in the north
; western part of the United States
The cutting of virgin timber, how
> lever. was completed many years
/ ago. During the last hundred year,
the timber industry has developed
4 rapidly, in spite of the disappear
ance of the virgin timber and thu
necessity of dependin" more am
Imore upon second-growth maj
} cared-for timber. Forest product
) now make up nearly so per cent o
, the value of the country's exports
} being nearly double in value tina
; of its nearest competitor, the metals
, this in spite of the fact that Swedel
, possessed one of the great iron or
, reserves of the world-a reserv
, which is being actively mined an
, from which ore of equivalent valu
, can be laid down in Pittsburgh eve
, more cheaply than can Minnesot
, iron ore. The growing of timbe
} does not compete with agriculture
, but rather supplements it, becaus
, nearly all of the land that loni
, continued experience has show
; could be profitably farmed has beel
, under cultivation for hundre
B years or more. This long continue
B experience has shown that only l
, per cent of the total area of tn
; country (18 per cent of the forest
D agricultural area) can be cultivat
; ed successfully. Gradually, timbe
, growing has assumed an importan
place in farming operations becaus
the timber crop produces net In
come from lands that could be cult
" waited or even pastured only at
loss. The harvesting of the timbe
, crop which is a winter operation
= makes the farming of the bette
n lands more profitable than it other
e wise would be, because it provide
r several months of work in the wiz
# ter time for the men and horse
IS which would otherwise have very III
!. tile work to do at that time of tn
J. wear. The inter-relation OF farm
ing and forestry has become so II
innate that one often hears success
n full and prosperous farmers maxim
d the statement that a good, well ba
anced farm Tin Sweden) ought
10 contain between and acres 9
" forest for every acresunder cultivs
" ton. And a very large number G
st farms do.
t. "The absence of excessively bul
be- densome taxation upon prlvatel
d owned forest property has been an
" is another important factor IN tn
lie development of private property
,r Sweden. Forest property is nov
e, and has been for many years, sui
n iected to two taxes, namely, Ian
ar tax and an income tax.
Is "Forest land is valued by asse
If sors specially trained in appraisln
Is the value of lands devoted to tn
,e growing of timber. Agriculture
S. land is appraised by similar grou
atl of specially trained men. These me
be are employed by and responsible
,e central assessing board which
% somewhat like our Tax Commission
e. In making the assessments, tn
le assessors are guided by the la
r which specifies how the land valu
IS are to be arrived at. Without e.
r ing into detail, the land is classifie