70 PLANTING. 



being, or have been, sold and consumed at a price 

 very much below their actual value. 



" In years past, vast quantities of pine timber in 

 the north-west part of the United States have been 

 stolen from the Government, and at the very time 

 the latter was employing agents to guard it. In 

 very many instances, after the timber has been stolen, 

 innocent parties, supposing from the official maps 

 that the land was timbered fand, have purchased it 

 from the United States at private entry, at 1.25 per 

 acre. Interest on the purchase -money and taxes 

 have, in the course of twenty years, made such land 

 cost the owners from 3 to 4 per acre, and yet the 

 land would not bring 50 cents per acre. Many 

 a man has been kept poor paying taxes on such 

 lands. Again, timber lands have been sold off in 

 such large quantities, and so rapidly, as to glut the 

 timber market. 



" But a more important fact is, that no means have 

 been taken to promote regrowth. Where hardwood 

 timber is cut, there is always a chance for regrowth 

 by the sprouts from the stumps and roots, but with 

 pine and spruce it is otherwise ; and where closely 

 growing forests of pine and spruce are cleared with- 

 out leaving seed- trees, the land may remain for ever a 

 waste, growing every year more barren. 



" In the report above referred to, it was shown 

 that the practice in Sweden, when cutting pine timber, 

 is to leave six or seven seed -trees to about each 

 quarter of an acre. After five or six years the seed- 

 trees may be cut." 



Mr Budd of Iowa, who has grown trees largely, 

 says : 



" A grove of 1 acres of white ash, thinned to 6 



