Western Yellow Pine Lands. 491 



duction from six to ten inches in diameter indicates a slightly in- 

 creased (5%) growth after forty years. The average density, 

 .7, also promises increase in growth as soon as reproduction is 

 established, but it would be probably nearly one hundred years 

 before there would be a full stocking of timber of merchantable 

 size. It should be noted that a study of density in an open forest 

 like that of Western Yellow Pine requires the keenest observation. 



On the other hand, in the determination of the annual growth, 

 the reduction in growth on cut-over lands must be considered. 

 It is felt that however fascinating the determination of the exact 

 sustained yield may be, the time has not yet come when it is 

 worth while in practical American forestry on a small tract, even 

 for educational purposes. In so far as the tract serves as an 

 object lesson, the management would be of greater value if practi- 

 cal rather than theoretical. For example, in the winter of 1910- 

 II about 350,000 ft. board measure was logged, but in 1911-1912 

 market conditions were so discouraging that only 70,000 feet were 

 logged. Prices will rise unquestionably, and it would be imprac- 

 tical to sacrifice present stumpage values for the sake of greater 

 uniformity in the yield. The policy decided on therefore was to 

 cut at as near the rate of growth as market conditions permitted. 

 It is scarcely worth while to try to determine the proper cut for 

 more than a few years, especially in the West where the rapid 

 growth of the country is almost certain to upset all exact calcu- 

 lations. Careful selection of the trees for cutting in accordance 

 with the best silviculture is much more important than uni- 

 formity of annual yield. 



Is forestry on ordinary private lands in this region practical? 

 As everywhere, stumpage is being held for higher prices. When 

 a tract is marketable, however, all merchantable timber is cut. 

 The reasons are, as is shown by the tables above, that the growth 

 is too slow and prices are insufficient to warrant holding any of 

 the trees for a second cut. The increase in stumpage prices is 

 too slow to induce holding of marketable timber, and the growth 

 is so slow that even small trees, yielding small profit to the logger 

 of to-day will not improve sufficiently in quality to be held for the 

 future. 



Stumpage on the Manitou Park Reserve is worth an average 

 of $4.00 per M, feet, board measure, although present contracts 

 in the more accessible portion of the tract stipulate $5.00 per M. 

 The cost of producing ties (7"x7"x8') is about as follows: 



