JACK PINE. 29 



a planting of Norway pine. Similarly, it will often be advisable to 

 plant Norway or white pine on vacant areas where the soil is suitable, 

 which otherwise miglit l)ecome seeded up to jack pine by natural 

 reproduction, as is being done in parts of Michigan. On poorer soils, 

 however, where Norway or white pine has a poor chance of success, 

 natural jack jnrie reproduction should always be encouraged. 



The possil)le returns in growing jack pine may be estimated from 

 Table 15, which gives the stumpage value per acre at different ages, 

 figured for different values per cord and per 1,000 board feet, taken 

 in connection with Table 16, which gives the cost per acre of growing 

 such stands. Thus, on "good" quality jack pine land the stumpage 

 value per acre of a 40-year-old stand at $1 per cord amounts to $28, 

 as shown by Table 15. Reference to Table 16 shows that in 40 years, 

 with money at 6 per cent and with an original investment of only $2 

 per acre, at which cost it would very rarely be possible to secure 

 adequately stocked stands, the cost would be $31.40, or .|3.40 more 

 than the stumpage value. On the other hand, money at 3 per cent 

 would admit of an original cost of $8 per acre and give a profit of 

 $2.10 per acre above the 3 per cent interest earned on all money 

 invested. In general, raising jack pine is at present a losing invest- 

 ment as compared with other investments at 6 per cent, but a 

 very good one as compared with others at 3 per cent. At this 

 latter rate of interest the State or Federal government would be 

 fully justified in growing it on lands unsuited to agricultural crops 

 or to more valuable species of trees. 



ROTATION. 



A short rotation for jack pine is the most practicable for securing 

 the best financial returns and the reproduction of a new stand with 

 the least difficulty. A comparison of Tables 14 and 15 indicates the 

 financial advisability of a short rotation. Thus, with a stumpage 

 value of S5 per 1,000 board feet mill scale, and with $5 original 

 investment at 6 per cent on ''good" quality of jack pine land, the 

 best financial rotation appears to be around 35 years. When trees 

 are of this age the stumpage value would be $52.50 per acre, and 

 the cost, at 6 per cent interest on all money invested, only $49.57. 



On lands under public control, where the financial return is sec- 

 ondary to the object of making otherwise waste land productive, a 

 rotation of 60 years may be advisable, which would allow the pro- 

 duction of ties and lumber as well as mine timbers, box boards, and 

 pulpwood. 



PROTECTION. 



Since fires, even if not severe enough to kill the trees outright, 

 practically always damage stands by impoverishing the soil, injuring 

 and weakening hidividual trees, and reducing their resistance to 



