FORESTRY FOR PROB^IT. 127 



Any of you who have questions to ask in regard to horticulture or flori- 

 culture can hand in the questions and we will see that they are answered. 

 Chairman: The first topic on our progi-ani this afternoon is "Forestry 

 for Profit," by Professor Phillips, of the University, who will now address 

 you. 



FORESTRY FOR PROFIT. 



PROF. F. J. PHILLIPS, LINCOLN, NEB. 



In taking this subject for the third time in three successive years it 

 seems to me that the chairman has given me old ground to cover. I 

 believe, however, that forestry can be made very profitable in the middle 

 west, more profitable than it has been in the past. I note in the census 

 of 1900 the amount of growth in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, 

 South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska. First let me call attention to the 

 land owned by the government in national forests. We have something 

 like 152,000,000 acres, which are estimated to contain about one-fifth of 

 the total timber supply of the country. In these states I have mentioned we 

 have 175,000,000 acres in rough and uncultivated land that Is not in 

 the agricultural portion; forestry has claimed this rough land. The 

 forester must take over very poor land if he is going to make a profit, 

 although the more valuable land yields a profit from such a growth as 

 that of catalpa and eucalyptus. These states in the middle west ought 

 to take a greater interest in the profit side of this type of land; first, on 

 such lands as are found along the streams, and second, non-fertile lands, 

 and third, the small waste spaces on the farm, and fourth, such areas 

 as contain a considerable amount of alkali, which are not suitable for 

 farm crops, granting that these lands can be used for forestry. Now, in 

 speaidngof forestry for profit, what species ought to be planted? Ordi- 

 narily two or three species provide the greatest profit, such as the Scotch 

 pine, hardy catalpa and the cottonwood. The cottonwood warps badly, 

 but with the present methods of cutting lumber and caring for it there is 

 no reason why it cannot be grown profitably. The price of cottonwood 

 in the Missouri valley is $50 per thousand, and notwithstanding the high 

 price there is a great demand for it as soon as the cottonwood is matured. 

 The species will grow better in the river bottoms than elsewhere; there 

 are immense areas of river-bottom lands that are used for pasture, and 

 are good for nothing else, that could be put into cottonwood. It has been 

 estimated and proven by one of the best authorities that we could pro- 

 duce saw timber cottonwood in from twenty to twenty-five years; the 

 standard raised is 5,000 to 15,000 board feet per acre; with a minimum 

 0^ five acres we would have a maximum of twenty to twenty- 

 five cords for fuel per acre in twenty to twenty-five years; 

 this is the contention held by Professor Miller, my predecessor, 

 in which he tried to advocate the planting of cottonwoods for 

 fuel. We are in the belt of the Mississippi valley and its tributaries, 

 which produces remarkable growths of cottonwood. In Germany where. 



