44 SEEDING AND PLANTING 



forest by artificial regeneration are numerous. They may, how- 

 ever, be placed in the following classes: 



a. The production of wood or other forest products. 



b. The protection which the forest affords. 



c. The seeding or planting for esthetic purposes. 



The owner often tries to combine two or more of these objects 

 in the regeneration. This is particularly true on game preserves, 

 the drainage areas from which potable water is obtained, and 

 small forest holdings in densely populated regions. Thus, the 

 owners of game preserves are interested not only in the char- 

 acter of the cover that the species selected for the regeneration is 

 capable of producing but also in the quality and value of the 

 wood or other useful products. Water companies, although chiefly 

 interested in the protective feature of the forest, find it to their 

 advantage to select species that command a high value when 

 grown. Many forest parks and private holdings are managed 

 primarily from the point of view of forest esthetics and only 

 secondarily from that of the value of the product obtained. It 

 is entirely practical, however, to combine wood production, pro- 

 tection and esthetic treatment in handling any forest property. 



5. Species Selected Primarily for the Production of Wood 



or Other Useful Products 



Where the highest financial return for wood and other forest 

 products is the primary object, the four following points must 

 be carefully considered in making the selection : 



a. The initial cost of the seeding or planting and the later cost 

 for protection and management. 



6. The value of the thinnings made during the development of 

 the stand. 



c. The time required for the production of the crop. 



d. The value of the crop when mature. 



Because of the long time required for forest crops to mature, 

 the initial cost of the regeneration is a matter of large impor- 

 tance. Thus, an increase of $6 per acre in the cost of the regener- 

 ation of a crop that requires 75 years to mature means that with 

 compound interest at 5 per cent it must yield $232.99 more per 

 acre. Initial cost is not so important a factor with forest crops 

 under short rotation, because interest charges are a less promi- 

 nent factor in the final result. 



