FOREST MANAGEMENT. 57 



industry of so much value to the state would be continued in- 

 definitely under normal conditions. But there is practically 

 no timber land in this state under normal conditions and there 

 is little or no increase on the far greater part of our cut-over 

 timber lands. On this account the continuance of our lumber 

 industry is not hoped for by those engaged in it. In other 

 words we are working our timber resources as though they 

 were a mine which can never be restocked. 



The timber lands of all civilized countries have passed 

 through about the same wasteful conditions as those which 

 now prevail here. While this does not justify the present 

 deplorable situation here, it shows us that the trouble we are 

 suffering from is a common one, that will right itself with 

 increased population and proper education. Previous to 

 1700 the forests of Germany were in much the same condition 

 as those here at present and a square mile of forest land could 

 be bought for the present price of one of the oaks planted at 

 that time. Our people are simply uninformed as to the possi- 

 bilities of our forest land under proper conditions. 



European Systems of Forest Management have been referred to 

 as being applicable to our conditions. But while we can 

 learn much from the history of European forest administra- 

 tion that is helpful in throwing light on and the solving of 

 our present problems, yet our conditions are so very different 

 from those existing in Europe that much discretion must be 

 used in adapting their methods to our present conditions. 

 For instance, in Germany and France there is a profitable 

 market for all that we term forest waste products, such as the 

 smaller top-logs, branches, twigs, stumps, leaves, underbrush 

 and even the roots of trees, while here such material encum- 

 bers the ground and greatly increases the danger of forest 

 fires, which is the greatest source of injury to growing timber. 



On account of the almost total absence of danger from 

 fires in European forests and the low tax on such property, 

 they are popular investments, so that although forest prop- 

 erty there probably does not yield much over 3 per cent, per 

 annum, there is plenty of capital seeking such investments 

 and on account of the safety of the security, are contented 

 with this low rate of income. Here, on the contrary, forest 

 property is greatly in danger of forest fires, which makes 



