FINANCIAL ROTATION 115 



land. An illustration from the management of a farm will explain 

 the attitude of those opposed to a rigid adherence to this financial 

 Rotation : A does little work, has poor buildings, little stock, small 

 investment. He also has a poor crop, but this small crop forms a 

 large per cent of interest on his investment. 



B employs plenty of help, has good buildings, lots of live stock, 

 large investment. He has a large crop but this large crop is but a 

 small per cent on his investment. According to census figures a 

 farm in Alabama pays a higher rate of interest on investment than 

 that of Illinois, but the latter has easily twice as much income per 

 acre per year. Generally B with his well tended farm is considered 

 the right farmer and not A. 



The new Bavarian Instructions expressly state that rotation 

 should be so chosen that demands of the home markets are best 

 supplied, and a fair income is secured. 



The latest Prussian Instructions do not discuss this point, evi- 

 dently a refusal to commit the State to the principle of a financial 

 Rotation, for which there has been a great deal of clamor. 



e. Physical Rotation. 



Besides the foregoing four kinds of Rotations authors generally 

 mention a fifth one, Physical Rotation. This is little explained as a 

 rule. Judeich says it is a Rotation where timber is cut at a time 

 when easiest reproduced, bears plenty of seed, or sprouts well (in 

 coppice), or else it is natural Rotation where timber is allowed to go 

 as long as it will live naturally. 



Neither of these conceptions are very helpful. More useful is 

 a consideration of the relation of Rotation and up-keep of fertility 

 of the land. This is important especially in forests of Pine and 

 other intolerant species stocked on poor sandy lands. Here the 

 stand opens up after it gets to be 50-80 years old, and allows wind 

 and sun to injure the soil by destruction of humus and by drying. 



Even on fair soils as in Oak woods such soil-deterioration takes 

 place and must be met either by shortening Rotation or by under- 

 planting, or other silvicultural means. 



Generally, then. Rotation is suited to market, to rate of growth, 

 and therefore to Site, Species, and treatment. But in all forests 



