6 MISC. PUBLICATION 2 4, XT. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



been sustained for an eight -year period, beginning with the twenty- 

 ninth year, resulting in a gross return of $352. Prorated against the 

 life of the crop, the returns for the gum amount to $9.51 per acre 

 per year. The saw logs should bring"$12 per thousand at the mill. 

 or $200.40. which on an annual basis "amounts to $5.42 per acre. 



Returns from 1 acre of slash pine in a dense stand 37 years old. near Starke. FJa. 





Gross 

 returns, 

 37 years 



Annual 



stumpage 



or leasing 



value 



Annual 

 returns 

 for labor 



Gross 

 annual 

 returns 





$352. 00 $3. 17 

 200. 40 j 2. 25 



$6. 34 

 3.17 



$9.51 





5.42 











Total 



552. 40 



5.42 



9.51 



14.93 







The annual returns from the above-mentioned acre are above the 

 average. For northern Florida the returns will rtm between 85 and 

 $16 per acre per year, about one-third of which may be. considered 

 as the leasing or stumpage value of the trees, the balance representing 

 the returns for labor. Even where the investment begins under the 

 most unfavorable condition — a plantation or a volunteer seedling 

 crop — the annual return, after allowing 6 per cent compound interest 

 on the initial investment and all carrying charges, is estimated at 

 $1.80 per acre for long-leaf pine on poor land and $8.18 on good land 

 and from $2 to $11.40 per acre for slash pine. Timber growing is 

 indeed a profitable business in northern Florida where the land is 

 not being used for agriculture or other purposes. 2 



CONSERVATIVE LUMBERING IN ALABAMA 



By J. W. LeMaistbe, General Manager Jackson- Lumber Co., Lockhart, Ala. 



The Jackson Lumber Co., Lockhart, Ala., of which I am general 

 manager, has been much interested in timber growing for the past 

 five years. We came to see that fire was doing us heavy damage, 

 both"in the way of destroying merchantable timber and by prevent- 

 ing cut -over lands from restocking with a growth of trees. During 

 the last four years we have been doing our best to keep fire out of 

 our lands, working first in the way of education of the people through 

 newspapers, etc.. Tater putting an organization in the field to actually 

 suppress fire. This has cost us some little money, but we expect to 

 get repaid for it. The last two years men employed by the State 

 have afforded much help. 



For a good manv vears we have not cut our timber clean, as is the 

 custom, but to an" 18-inch stump-diameter limit, thinning out trees 

 that stand too thick and wherever needed, leaving occasional trees 

 for bearing seed. Our cut-over lands in consequence now have a 

 stand of smaller-sized saw timber on them whose utilization in the 

 most profitable way we are now studying. Operations for naval 



2 From Baker. H. L. forest fibes ih Florida. 37 p.. illus. Jacksonville, Fla. 1926. 

 (Published bv the Florida Forestry Association in cooperation with the Forest feemce, 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture.) 



