NEWS AND NOTES 



369 



protect just so much more of the woodland 

 of the state and the stream flow dependent 

 upon it. They would provide the best 

 method of preserving places of historical and 

 scientific interest. They would secure a ne- 

 cessity of modern life before it is too late. 



"State parks would give an economic re- 

 turn from tourists and visitors. 



"State parks are the only means of pre- 

 serving, protecting, and appropriately im- 

 proving places of uncommon and charac- 

 teristic beauty. 



"Finally, these parks would make, as no 

 other agency can, adequate and permanent 

 provision for wholesome out-door recrea- 

 tion and pleasure. 



"If it is right for the state of Wisconsin 

 to spend $1,250,000 upon charitable and penal 

 institutions, as it did in 1908, made necessary 

 in part at least by unfavorable physical and 

 social conditions, is it not wise and good to 

 spend something upon preventive measures 

 which would make such institutions less nee- • 

 essary? Who questions nowadays that sim- 

 ple recreation in the open air amid beautiful 

 natural surroundings contributes to physical 

 and moral health, to a saner and happier 

 life? These parks are the only security that 

 the future holds out for persons of small 

 means." 



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Immense Profits of German Forests 



In view of the general interest in munici- 

 pal or communal forests, as advocated in this 

 country by the American Civic Association, 

 the report obtained by S. B. Elliott, of the 

 Pennsylvania Forestry Reserve Commission, 

 concerning the practical value of such wood- 

 lands in Germany is a remarkable document. 

 This shows the actual profits obtainable from 

 public forests. 



There are 1,342,944 acres of forests in 

 Baden, which state has a total area of 

 3,726,665 acres. Of the wooded lands, 577,465 

 are owned by communities and corporations. 

 In Baden, 1,350 of the 1,564 communities have 

 forests and, in addition, 287 schools, churches, 

 hospitals, and other similar corporations are 

 engaged in practical forestry. From these 

 public forests there are allowed to be cut 

 yearly 261,724,300 board-feet of timber, which 

 has a value of $3,600,000 free of expense of 

 cutting. 



As an instance of the communal forests, 

 the city of Baden has 10,576 acres, the income 

 from which is $100,-171, as against an outlay 

 of $33,391, .so that the net profit is $66,080, 

 or approximately $6.25 an acre. In Freiburg, 

 the forests cover 8085 acres, representing a 

 total income of $84,166, with an outlav of 

 $37,330, or a profit of $46,836, or $5.79 an 

 acre. In Heidelberg, the forests cover 6860 

 acres. The income is $39,834 and the outlav 

 $27,199, showing a profit of $12635. Heidel- 

 berg still is acquiring land, and that expense 

 necessarily reduces its net income. 



In the village of Braunlingen, which h«s 

 1,601 inhabitants and 4,507 acres of forests, 

 there is an allowance to the citizens of fire- 

 wood and 100,000 board-feet of lumber is 

 given to churches, schools, and other public 

 institutions. From the timber sold, the net 

 income is $21,600, and Braunlingen not only 

 is free from all communal taxes, but is en- 

 abled to establish electric plants, water- 

 works, and other public improvements. 



Even in the village of An fen, with only 

 220 inhabitants, there are 163 acres of timber- 

 lands. This gives 2,000 board-feet of fire- 

 wood to each citizen, and the 85,000 board- 

 feet of timber sold nets more than $1,400, 

 which is sufficient for all expenses of the 

 little community. 



These advantages of public forests could 

 be multiplied to the number of every com- 

 munity having them. According to the latest 

 report, the various German states having pro- 

 ductive communal forests are : Prussia, 6,- 

 309,109 acres; Bavaria, 2,041,450 acres ; Wuer- 

 temberg, 466,203 acres ; Alsace-Lorraine, 

 373,417 acres; Baden (domains), 239,896 

 acres; Hessia (state and domains), 177,923 

 acres ; Prussian Crown, 165,492 acres ; and 

 Fuerstenberg, 74,493 acres. 



In Hessia, forests are being planted upon 

 land hitherto devoted to agriculture. 



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The Biltmore Fires 



Dr. C. A. Schenck, Director, Biltmore 

 Forest School, writes : 



"As regards the forest fires at Biltmore, I 

 am glad to say that the newspaper reports 

 have been exaggerated. Only two acres of 

 my plantations were destroyed ; 12,000 acres 

 of primeval forests were run over by fire, and, 

 naturally, the young growth was annihilated. 



"By many years' protection, the vegetable 

 mold on the ground had accumulated, and a 

 dense stand of young growth had been pro- 

 duced. Both are gone. * * * All our fires 

 were of incendiary origin." 



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Yale Forestry Students in Texas 



A Yale party consisting of two professors 

 and twenty-nine senior students is in Texas 

 studying forestry. Says the Somerville 

 (Mass.) Reporter: 



"The party is in the east Texas yellow- 

 pine district, encamped in the thickest of the 

 timber territory, in the very jungles of pine, 

 and in the last term of their course in the 

 Yale Forestry School, though they are far 

 from New Haven, they are doing full work 

 daily and getting credit for it, and will 

 graduate in June with just as much effect 

 to the diplomas as the B.A.'s and the LL.B.'s 

 and the B.D.'s and the other fellows in cap 

 and gown and marching processions who 



