GERMAN FORKS'!' 5 



of other hardwoods ready to cut every year, without fail. Having 

 been under good management so long, there is now about the same 

 area of Spruce 1-20 years, 21-40 years, etc., clear up to 100 year 

 old stuff. Hut the 80-100 year old timber is not in one body but is 

 in a dozen or more different tracts, scattered over the forest ; and 

 this is also true of the young timber. In fact special care is had to 

 prevent large tracts of timber all of one age, since this has been 

 found dangerous particularly on account of windfalls and insects. 



Cut of timber: Is yearly logged by contract, logging done "by 

 hand" ; done by small groups of men regularly employed on the 

 forest ; the material cut in thinnings is skidded to the road ; where 

 old stands are cut clear, the stems and cordwood are left on the 

 land to be hauled away by the buyer. The timber is cut in long 

 lengths, commonly full length, like telephone poles, peeled, each 

 piece marked and measurements noted on stick. The timber is sold 

 in small and large lots, by auction sale. The thinnings pay well ; 

 for instance the thinning of a stand of Spruce 70 years old brought 

 over $80.00 per acre, after paying for labor. The total cut amounts 

 to near a million cubic feet per year, and is of excellent shape and 

 quality. 



Income and Expenses: The expenses each year exceed $3.00 

 per acre, or $25,000 total. Over half is for logging, about 30 cents 

 per acre is for protection alone ; a like amount is paid for local 

 taxes, and about 20 cents for roads. 



The gross income for years past has been over $12.00 per acre, 

 making a net income of about $9.00 $TO.OO per acre and year or 

 $70,000 $80,000 for the forest. 



Working Plans: This forest was in good hands and had good 

 care for centuries. A few old stands testify to the excellence- in 

 silviculture of the men working here over a hundred years ago. 

 The present plan was first worked out about 1860, has been revised 

 every twenty years since. At each revision the Forester in charge 

 of this work goes over every lot, examines and notes the condition 

 of every stand. In making the plan he prepares a table, arranging 

 the stands according to age, and picks out enough of these stands 

 to make up the cut of the next 20 years ; for the Spruce, then, about 

 1/5, for the Beech section about 1/6 of the total area. He also 

 makes suggestions as to planting, thinning, logging, improvements, 



