14 The Farm Woodlot 



land that has been run down beyond the possibility of 

 successful cropping. The fertility of the land is renewed 

 and increased by forest growth. 



Lastly, but not of the least importance commercially, 

 all these features greatly increase the sale value of the land. 

 There is no doubt that a well-regulated woodlot with its 

 appearance and its possibilities for production will in- 

 crease the attractiveness of a farm sufficiently to raise its 

 sale value several hundred dollars. 



A few examples of the results of forest management in 

 Europe and parts of America will assist in showing the 

 possibilities of the woodlot as a money-producer. Large 

 areas of the German forests, artificially planted and care- 

 fully tended, yield a net annual revenue of $4 to $8 per 

 acre. Only a few of them yield less than $2.50 per acre. 

 One forest in Switzerland yields as high as $14 per acre. 

 Such large profits as these, in many cases higher than 

 the revenues from our good farm lands, are not yet 

 possible in this country owing to the low cost of lumber, 

 but already plantations of white pine in New England 

 have yielded six per cent on the investment annually, 

 and that under rather careless management. It will be 

 some time, possibly, before such profits can be realized on 

 our large forest areas, but, owing to the ready market and 

 the possibility of more complete utilization, the woodlot 

 can already be made to participate in them. 



The initial expense of establishing a woodlot is small, 

 the expense and care of conducting it are almost negligible, 

 and the returns, considering the quality of the land on 

 which it grows, highly satisfactory. There are very 

 few farms that can afford to be without a woodlot. 



