FOREST PRESERVATION AND NATIONAL PROSPERITY. 25 



Assuming that the land held for forestry purposes is valuable for tim- 

 ber, the State would far better collect a low annual tax over a long 

 period of years than levy a heavy tax for a short period ; and this is 

 obvious when we consider that an important industry is thus main- 

 tained and a considerable and constant pay roll secured. Practical 

 forestry ought to be of more interest and importance to lumbermen 

 than to any other class of men. At present lumbermen are ready to 

 consider seriously any proposition which may be made by those who 

 have the conservative use of the forests at heart. Private forestry is 

 practicable, and can be applied profitably under favorable conditions. 



J. E. DEFEBATTGH, 



Editor American Lumberman. 



The early lumberman found it hard work to make a profit when 

 he had an unlimited privilege to cut all the timber in sight. In the 

 three northwestern white-pine States from 1830 to about 1845 a few 

 goods given to the Indians were sufficient to secure all the logs neces- 

 sary to supply any of the mills of that day. Timber that would run 

 60 per cent uppers could be secured in exchange for whisky that 

 would run 90 per cent adulteration. 



* * * The increase in value of all timber holdings within recent 

 years makes advocacy of forest preservation, as far as merchantable 

 timber is concerned, properly a plea for so managing the forest as to 

 get the greatest amount of commercial product from it at the present 

 time, without impairing any more than necessary its productive 

 capacity for the future. The holder of a timber estate is actuated by 

 exactly the same considerations as the holder of other property — he 

 wishes it to produce more money than he has put in. If he can be 

 convinced that the timber is such that its growth will give him greater 

 returns on his investment than its cutting at the present time, he may 

 be induced to hold it ; but he is not likely to let his forest stand solely 

 for the benefit of posterity. 



* * * That there has been a change of heart within recent years on 

 the part of American lumbermen toward the forestry idea there can 

 be no doubt. If you should ask me to what I ascribe this sentiment, 

 I would say that the most important step forward was made by the 

 disciples of forestry when they ceased to preach the doctrine of indi- 

 rect and deferred benefits and began to demonstrate that direct bene- 

 fits could be made to result from forestry as a science and as a 

 practice. Proper forestry regulations and successful reforestation 

 can never be brought about but by a demonstration of direct results. 

 The great and vital question that appeals to the American lumberman 

 is, How can I cut my timber now and at the same time grow a new 

 timber crop for future supply ? 



