494 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



tively wide variation in the extent of the increase in forest lands, but a 

 very obvious increase none the less. 



Public officials were also liberal with information. The secretary 

 of the Forest Park Eeservation Committee of Xew Jersey gives it as 

 his opinion that 



It is no overstatement to say that forest property in any part of New 

 Jersey is worth at least double what it was worth ten years ago. 



The acting state forester of Minnesota believes (January 3, 1913) 



that the value of wild lands in the northern part of this state has advanced 

 rapidly in the last ten or fifteen years. I believe that it is safe to say that this 

 increase has been as much as from one hundred to one hundred and fifty per cent. 



The Conservation Committee of the State of New York writes that 



In 1890 a law was passed providing for the purchase of land for forest 

 preservation purposes, not to exceed one dollar and a half per acre. The lumber- 

 men that operated these lands and removed the spruce down to about twelve 

 inches stump diameter, seemed to be anxious to sell their land at that time for 

 this price. It has often been stated that property which the state acquired at 

 that time for this price is worth from twenty-five to thirty dollars per acre at 

 the present time. 



Austin F. Hawes, the state forester of Vermont, believes that 



It is safe to say that land covered with good timber has doubled in value 

 within the last fifteen years. 



The state forester of Kentucky writes that 



Judging from the experience of Berea College, which owns about five thou- 

 sand acres of timber land, on the average timber has more than doubled in value 

 in the last ten years. 



The State Board of Forestry of Wisconsin fully confirms the esti- 

 mates made by private lumbermen from that section of the country. 

 The state forester writes (March 4, 1913) : 



I believe that the following prices are approximately accurate for the state 

 as a whole: 



Stumpage 20 Years Ago Stumpage To-day 



White pine $3.00 $10.00 



Norway pine 1.00 8.00 



Hemlock 50 3.00 



Birch 2.00 . 6.00 



Basswood 3.00 8.00 



Elm 2.00 6.00 



Tamarack 50 3.00 



Cedar 1.00 3.00 



Spruce 2.00 6.00 



On specific tracts of pine I know of several instances where the stumpage has 

 increased from $2.00 to $5.00 twenty years ago, up to from $15.00 to $20.00 

 to-day. Another specific tract of mixed timber was appraised and offered for 

 sale by the state for $425, in 1902, but there was no bidder at this price. This 

 winter wo have sold the timber on this tract for $1,860. 



