153 



area in Ogle county approaches the maximum yields obtainable in north- 

 ern Minnesota and Wisconsin. This stand at 75 years of age has pro- 

 duced lumber of the finest quality though deficient as yet in the quantity 

 of lumber of clear grades suitable for pattern stock or other special uses. 

 The stumpage value of such pine timber in Minnesota has reached an 

 average of $20.00 per thousand on sites approaching this in accessibility. 

 At 39,690 board feet the value of the crop is now $793.80 per acre, giv- 

 ing an average yield per year for the total period, of $10.58 per acre, ex- 

 clusive of the possibility of thinnings. It is not permissible to use over 

 4 per cent compound interest to apply over a period as long as 75 years, 

 and any investment which yields this total, which returns 18 times the 

 initial investment, must be considered a very profitable one. 



This seeding was natural, hence the only expense was taxes. The 

 value of the crop, $793.80, properly discounted, would indicate a land- 

 value of $44.23, which at 4 per cent would yield an annual rental of 

 $1.77 per acre. Annual taxes would have to be met in theory from this 

 rental. 



These data indicate that crops of white pine should not be grown 

 upon agricultural soils in place of farm crops, but that they possess possi- 

 bilities for sandy or poor soils whose value falls below $40.00 per acre. 

 Once the forest on such soils is brought to a condition of annual yields, 

 the value per acre based on gross income would be — ^ or $264.50 per 

 acre, approximately that of good agricultural land. But this value in- 

 cludes the average stand of half-grown timber. It is just these timber 

 values which restore the balance of value to the poorer classes of soil 

 and cause these soils to bear their proportionate burden of production 

 and of taxes. On poorer sands, experiments should be made with other 

 pines. 



These pines on account of their straight form and comparative light- 

 ness of wood produce a far greater ratio of lumber per cubic foot of 

 wood than do hardwoods, and the proportion is still greater when weight 

 is considered, or fuel value. 



Plot 3. European larch in Champaign county. 



This species weighs 30.65 lbs. per cubic foot as against 22 lbs. for 

 white pine. The yield of a plantation of larch at Champaign on rich 

 black loam exceeded that of the pine in Ogle county in weight per year, 

 giving 3,414 lbs. annually as against 1,929 lbs. for pine. In cubic feet, , 

 the relative yields were, for larch 111 cu. ft. annually and for pine 85 



