456 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



in regulating the flow of streams, and 

 preventing the erosion of the soil. 

 Every citizen of our country is inter- 

 ested. 



Kentucky has about 12,000,000 acres 

 in forest lands, which is about one-half 

 the acreage of the state. It is not pos- 

 sible to get from the books the assessed 

 value of forest land, but the value of 

 all lands in Kentucky for 1907 was 

 assessed at $12.60 per acre. On this 

 valuation the forest land would show a 

 value of $150,000,000. An assessment 

 for state and county purposes of one 

 per cent on this yields a revenue of 

 $1,500,000, or a tax of $0.12^2 per 

 acre. 



The cut of timber for 1907 was a 

 little over 912,000,000 feet, board meas- 

 ure, valued at $19,000,000. If this 

 value of the timber cut had been taxed 



eight per cent, it would about equal the 

 revenue derived from the $0.1254 per 

 acre. 



I believe the theory of free forests 

 and revenue from the product of the 

 forest may aid in the solution of the tax 

 question. Then the man who plants 

 trees would have an inducement. He 

 would not be taxed on his growing crop 

 until he sold his trees. The owner of 

 forest lands would not be apt to cut 

 immature trees, but await mature 

 growth. One thing the American peo- 

 ple may well understand at once there 

 will never be cheap lumber again. A 

 people that cuts three feet to one that 

 grows, as at present, will require gen- 

 erations of skilled forest management 

 to increase the annual growth of the 

 forests to meet the wants of civilized 

 life. 



AMERICANS AND AMERICAN TREES IN GERMANY 



Heavy snowbreak in Douglas fir near Hamburg 



