186 ELEMENTARY FORESTRY. 
measure, or a mean annual increase of 185 feet board measure 
per acre. If this were true, it would leave a wide margin to our 
present annual timber cut without impairing our normal growing 
stock. In other words, this great lumber industry, of so much 
value to the state, would be continued indefinitely under normal 
conditions. But there is practically no timber land in this state 
under normal conditions, and there is little or no increase on the 
far greater part of our cut-over timber lands. On this account 
the continuance of our lumber industry is not hoped for by those 
engaged in it. In other words, we are working our timber 
resources as though they were a mine which can never be 
restocked. 
The timber lands of all civilized countries have passed through 
about the same wasteful conditions as those which now prevail 
here. While this does not justify the present deplorable situation 
here, it shows us that the trouble we are suffering from is a com- 
mon one, that will right itself with increased population and 
proper education. Previous to 1700 the forests of Germany were 
in much the same condition as those here at present, and a 
square mile of forest land could be bought for the present price 
of one of the oaks planted at that time. Our people are simply 
uninformed as to the possibilities of our forest land under proper 
conditions. 
Like Any Other Business, Forestry Requires Capital. 
This is partly in land and partly in the growing crops of wood. 
Capital in wood may often exceed that in land. Income from 
forests comes as timber, fuel, bark, and in items of smaller impor- 
tance, such as grazing, fruit, medicinal plants, hunting, etc. 
Forests Should be so Managed as to yield an annual 
igcrease, as in this way the conditions for most successful market- 
ing are best met. Under guch conditions, too, a’certain amount 
of experienced help can be expected to become located conveni- 
ently near, as they will have steady work, while if the products 
are harvested at irregular intervals new help must be engaged at 
each harvest, which is extremely undesirable. 
In Considering the Returns from the Forest the fol- 
lowing terms should be clearly understood: (1) Normal grow- 
ing stock, (2) normal income, (3) capital stock, and (4) actual 
income. These are defined in the following paragraphs: 
