358 FOREST BOTANY IN NOBWAY. [March, 



riiigi measured 1 centimetre, nearly half-inch ; in the north part cf 

 the valley of Osterdal, on 'the other hand, it requires from 4 to 6 

 to measure 1 centimetre ; the rings of the Fir heiag less compressed 

 from 2 to 4 often measure 1 centimetre. In young trees the 

 augmentation of girth as elsewhere diminishes continuously with 

 age. 



In a paper transmitted under date of September 21, 1874, to the 

 Department of State at Washington, General Andrews, Minister 

 from the United States to Surden, draws attention to the fact that a 

 thing may be reckoned as worth what, under favourable circumstances, 

 it takes to produce it, and reports :— Mr. Samson, a highly intelli- 

 gent Norwegian gentleman, who has made a large fortune in the 

 timber trade, informed me some time ago that, according to a calcu- 

 lation he had made, Pine and Spruce timber actually costs, and is 

 worth much more than the price at which it is sold. His theory is, 

 that^ an acre of ground timber is worth the same that the lowest or 

 nominal price of wild land — say 1 dol. an acre — would amount to, as 

 an invested capital, -drawing interest at the expiration of the period 

 required for timber to develop. 'In the report on Swedish forest 

 culture, accompanying my letter No. 166, 'says he, 'it was shown that on 

 the northerly part of Surden, 200 years, and in poorer soils 300 years 

 are required for the Pine to grow to good timber. In the south part 

 of the country 100 years are sufficient. He says that 1 dol. invested 

 at 5 per cant, interest per annum will double in 20 years. In 40 

 years it will l)e 4 dols. ; in GO 3'ears, 8 dols. ; in 80 years, 3 6 dols. ; in 

 100 years, 32 dols. ; in 120 years, 64 dols. ; in 140 years, 128 dols. ; in 

 160 years, 256 dols. ; in 180 years, 512 dols. ; in 200 years, 1,024 dols. 

 and thus he makes the cost of production as thus calculated. 



'Assuming that one hundred and eighty years are required for the 

 growth of Pine timber in the north-west part of the United States,' 

 he goes on to say, ' these figures would seem to show that the Pine 

 forests of the United States are bringing to hand trees sold and con- 

 sumed at a ])rice very much below their actual value.' I know that 

 the same thing has occurred in other countries besides America, and 

 that in many cases the tree was worth to the country, as a tree, a great 

 deal more than the price obtained for it as wood ! 



A Successful Student. — We are pleased to learn that the son of our esteemed 

 contributor, Mr. A. J. Burrows, of Pluckley, Kent, has passed the students' pre- 

 liminary examination recently held at the Surveyors' Institute, Great George 

 Street, Westminster. 



