114 FORESTRY ALMANAC 



The Mont Alto Forest is a young third-growth, with trees 

 averaging 36 years. Yet from 1903 to 1923, the gross cash income 

 has increased from $400 a year to $50,000. It is in its present 

 and future financial possibilities that the forest offers a forestry 

 object lesson. 



The purchase price was $80,000 dollars. The excess of expen- 

 diture over income for 20 years has been $147,000. The excess for 

 the next 30 years, necessary to bring the forest into maturity should 

 not exceed $210,000. This totals $437,000 not computing interest, 

 which can be set off against the health, recreational, game refuge, 

 water protection and employment benefits of the area. At the end 

 of 50 years, then, the Mont Alto Forest will return annually a net 

 income of $50,000 on an investment of $437,000, represent a val- 

 uable asset in standing timber, serve as the research and experimental 

 station of the Pennsylvania State Forest School and continue to 

 perform the functions it has fulfilled during the last two decades. 



HARVARD FOREST 



Serving specifically as a field for experimentation and research 

 for forestry students at Bussey Institution of Harvard University 

 and generally as a practical demonstration of the possibilities of 

 sustained forest yield, the Harvard Forest at Petersham, Massa- 

 chusetts, occupies a unique position in the forestry movement. It 

 is managed by Professor Richard T. Fisher. 



The Harvard Forest covers 2000 acres and has a merchantable 

 stand of about 12,000,000 board feet. It has been under systematic 

 management since 1909 for the single purpose of showing methods 

 of maintaining and promoting forest crops and furnishing data on 

 costs of operating organized forests. The original capital invest- 

 ment is carried on the books at $55,000, although liquidation of the 

 area today would return more than twice that figure. 



From the financial point of view, the Harvard Forest is cutting 

 and delivering lumber to the market at about $15 a thousand feet. 

 Added to this is the stumpage cost of about $10 a thousand, assum- 

 ing that bonds have been issued and had to pay interest. An 

 annual contribution is made to the town of Petersham of $700 for 

 road work, making up the loss in taxation to the community by 



