80 



REPORT OF THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



as soon as possible, before the brush, which might be a handicap to the plants 

 and to the planting operations, becomes rank. 



Though there seems to be a well-nigh inexhaustible supply of virgin timber 

 in the Douglas fir region, and present stumpage prices are very low, yet the field 

 is very attractive to the forester and commercial planting will undoubtedly be 

 profitable, provided a reasonable rise in the value of stumpage is assumed. The 

 following tablet indicates the yields of merchantable material that can be ex- 

 pected from the better classes of forest soil in this region (only trees over 18 

 inches in diameter being included. 



Age, Years. 



50 



60 



70 



80 



90 

 100. 

 110 

 120 

 130 



Feet B. M. per acre. 



28,000 



41,000 



51,700 



61,100 



70,300 



79,800 



90,300 

 101,500 

 113,000 



A rotation of 60 to 100 years should produce timber of fair size for general 

 purposes, and an even shorter rotation will give good round timber in abundance. 

 The longer rotation would probably be used by the government, while the shortest 

 practicable period would be chosen by the private owner. Periodic thinnings are 

 possible and practicable, provided market conditions are satisfactory, in Douglas 

 fir stands from the time they are 35 or 40 years old. 



The following table, quoted from "Practical Forestry in the Pacific North- 

 west," by Mr. E'. T. Allen, is a useful guide in determining the profits from the 

 growing of Douglas fir. It is prepared from the yield table above allowing five 

 extra years, to make it conservative, for the stand to become established : 



Cost per M of growini! Douglas fir resulting 

 from every $1 per acre originally invested 



At 4%. 

 At 5%- 

 At 6%. 



Cost per M of growing Douglas flr resul- 

 ting from every 1 cent per acre of annual 

 carrying chaise 



If the original investment is $10.00 per acre ($7.50 for the planting and 

 $2.50 for the land), and the annual carrying charges are 10 cents an acre, this 

 plantation would have cost its owner at the end of 60 years $6.31 per M feet if 

 he figures his investment at 5% ($ .53 x 10 -|- $ .101x10). Hence if he can 

 sell his crop at the end of 60 years, and there is no doubt that he could, for $6.31 

 per thousand, he would make 5% on his investment, and in addition have the 

 land and the returns from the periodic thinnings. 



t From Forest Service Circular 175. 



