126 FOREST VALUATION 



Germany. In the national forests an expenditure of only about 

 t\vo cents an acre has reduced fire losses from an estimated ten cents 

 per acre to less than one cent per acre. By an expenditure of ten 

 cents an acre it is to be expected that this loss will be reduced still 

 further, and what is more important, this protection will protect 

 with a certainty regardless of conditions, and so prevent any of the 

 great forest fires which from time to time have completely devas- 

 tated many thousands of acres in a single season. 



So far forest fire insurance has not really been tried in the 

 United States. All financial concerns, including insurance com- 

 panies have been afraid of forest properties ; some of the reasons 

 for this attitude are found in the following conditions : 



The values are badly distributed and scattered in a forest ; there 

 is a large area for a relatively small amount of money. This is less 

 true in the well-cared for forest with good market than with the 

 wild woods ; and it is less true of the heavy stands of timber in the 

 Pacific coast states, but generally the fact remains. In the city,, 

 property on one acre is worth many thousands, in^the forests of 

 the eastern half of the United States it is worth about twenty dollars. 



The value of wild woods is hard to ascertain with any degree 

 of accuracy. The insurance company's agent can not simply inspect 

 and verify; it takes a regular cruise and involves expense. 



The amount of damage by a forest fire is very hard to ascertain. 

 A lot of hardwood timber run over by fire may all leaf out and ap- 

 pear practically uninjured and yet half the stuff may die and start 

 to decay before five years are past. Two estimators would often 

 fail to agree with regard to the same tree before them. 



Much of our timber is owned in separated and often^videjv 

 scattered bodies. 



The owners of timber are only holding stumpage; it is a spec- 

 ulative affair, and does not inspire confidence. The owners do not 

 practice forestry, the forest is left without improvements, roads, 

 etc., and there is no real care and protection. 



The community, state and county. do_jj.othjng, as yet, to_niake 

 forest property reasonably secure. 



Public opinion and habit has no regard for forest property and 

 is quite generally inimical to the owners of forests. This attitude 

 finds expression in the behavior of young and old in the forest, in 

 legislation and in the enforcement of law. 



What the future will bring is doubtful. For large owners of 

 forest, who practice real forestry, there is no object in insuring, as 



