THE FOREST WEALTH OF MINNESOTA. 34 1 



Something should be done by the state to show the possibili- 

 ties of reproducing valuable timber growth on the cut-over timber 

 lands which today are growing little but brush. What we need now 

 are demonstrations in forestry. 



As a good example of the returns from forest lands, due en- 

 tirely to the use of right methods of handling, it might be well to 

 compare Spain with Germany. The German people over loo years 

 ago began to comprehend something of the importance of forests 

 to their national development, and since then they have given much 

 attention to this subject. As a result, the German forests are im- 

 proving in condition from year to year and form a stable and im- 

 portant source of national wealth. The same is true of Denmark, 

 Sweden, Norway, France and Switzerland. In Spain, however, 

 there was followed the short sighted policy of over-grazing their 

 natural timber lands with sheep and goats, and the result has been 

 very disastrous for the country, not only in nearly destroying its 

 forest wealth, but in injuring its manufactures by destroying the 

 permanency of its streams. The opportunities for good forest 

 management were just as good in Spain as they were in France or 

 Germany, and its forests might have been a source of great national 

 wealth. 



RAPIDITY OF GROWTH OF TREES. 



(From the report of the New York Forestry Commission.) 

 Beginning with a three-inch sapling the following named 

 varieties of trees will, in twenty years, under favorable condi- 

 tions, attain a diameter approximately as follows : 



Inches 



White, or Silver, Maple 21 



American White Elm 19 



Basswood 17 



Red Maple 16 



Yellow Locust 14 



Box Elder 14 



Hard Maple 13 



Red Oak 13 



Scarlet Oak 13 



White Ash 12 



White Oak 11 



Hackberry 10 



The height which each species may be expected to attain is 

 omitted here as it will assume the usual proportion to the 

 diameter. 



