PURCHASE OF FORESTRY LANDS BY 

 STATES AN INVESTMENT 



BY 



GENERAL C. C. ANDREWS 



"VV7HILE most of the forest in Eu- of land, given by Congress, which by 

 * rope is owned bv individuals,, law it must sell, and for not less than 

 nearly all of the European states sepa- $5.00 an acre, for school and state 

 rately own and manage considerable institution funds. Besides, the great- 

 forest land, though not of course in one er part of these lands are suitable for 

 body. Amidst, though not a part of, agriculture. They cannot possibly 

 these forests, are occasional farms, be taken for forestry, 

 villages, and many people. The for- Saxony has 432,000 acres of state 

 ests are generally traversed by good forest, the annual growth in which 

 roads. Prussia owns 6,000,000 acres averages 225 feet board measure per 

 of state forest, from which it derives acres, so that 97,000,000 feet board 

 an annual net revenue of $9,000,000. measure can be cut yearly for rev- 

 France owns 2,100,000 acres of state enue without impairment of the cap- 

 forest, from which it derives a net ital. At the same rate of growth the 

 annual revenue of $1.91 per acre. 3,000,000 acres in Minnesota should, 

 Why should the state own forest? in eighty yoars, when it becomes a 

 Because on light soil, unfit for agri- normal forest, begin to yield 675,000 

 culture, it takes on an average about feet board measure annually, and 

 eighty years for pine forest to grow which, at $5.00 per 1,000 feet, the 

 to merchantable size, and individuals present rate (the value will probably 

 will not engage in the business on a be double then), will be worth, stand- 

 large scale. ing in the woods, $3,375,000 as net 



In 1897 the Forest Commission of revenue. 



Wisconsin employed Dr. Filibert In Germany, each 100 acres of for- 



Roth, an able forest expert, to ex- est gives steady employment to one 



amine the northern part of that state workman, who lives in or near the 



with a view to inaugurating a forest forest with his family. He has skill 



policy. In an area of 18,000,000 and training, and, to be contented, 



acres, which had produced pine tim- must have good wages. In the same 



ber, he found 6,000,000 acres which proportion, our 3,000,000 acres of 



he reported, "Not at all suited to Minnesota state forest would give 



farming, or only doubtfully so, and steady employment to 30,000 work- 



which should by all means be left to men, who would represent an orderly 



forest." population in the forest of 120,000. 



The area of land in Minnesota Among other indirect benefits, the for- 



which has yielded pine is, in the ag- est would promote water supply in 



gregate, 18,000,000 acres, and it may streams, beautify landscape, fertilize 



be assumed there are at least within soil, ameliorate climate, afford covert 



this area as many as 3,000,000 acres for game. 



of rocky, hilly, or sandy land that is One of the richest pine timber re- 

 unfit for agriculture and which should gions of the northwest was the Sagi- 

 be used for forestry. It may be ask- naw and Huron Shore district of 

 ed if the state does not now own Michigan. In 1893 there was cut ir 

 enough land? The State of Minne- that district 858,000,000 feet of pine 

 sota now owns about 2,500,000 acres but the supply of pine timber had sc. 



