they were sixty years ago, and they are increasing more rapidly than 

 ever. 



These results have been obtained in Prussia along with almost ideal 

 technical success. ~VYhen what is wanted is a sustained yield from the 

 forest year by year in the long run, it is clearly necessary to have 

 always a certain number of trees ready to be cut; there must be a 

 proper proportion of trees of all ages. This percentage has been se- 

 cured and maintained with almost mathematical accuracy. 



In Saxony, which has about 430,000 acres of State forests, the in- 

 crease of cut under forest management, which always means also a 

 corresponding increase in wood produced, has been nearly as marked 

 as in Prussia. The yield rose 55 per cent between 1820 and 1904, and 

 is now 93 cubic feet per acre — greater than that of the Prussian for- 

 ests. Since the chief wood is spruce, which yields more saw timber 

 than the average of trees making up the Prussian forests, the in- 

 crease in the percentage of saw timber in Saxony naturally exceeds 

 the increase in Prussia. It increased from 26 per cent in 1830 to 06 

 per cent in 1904. The net yearl}^ revenue is $5.30 per acre. The yearly 

 expense is $3 per acre. 



These figures are in striking contrast with the corresponding ones 

 for the United States, given in the table on page 29. We spent on 

 our National Forests last year 9^^ mills per acre, and our net revenue 

 from them was less than f mill per acre. 



The rise in prices, felt everywhere, accounts only in part for the 

 increased financial returns from forestry in these two States. For 

 while the prices have not quite trebled, the revenue has been multi- 

 plied tenfold. 



Other German States, smaller, and with better kinds of timber and 

 better market facilities, secure even higher returns. The forests of 

 Wiirttemberg yield a net annual revenue of nearly $6 per acre, and 

 those of several smaller administrations do even better. 



A number of the private forests of Germany are managed with 

 great success. As a result of a canvass of 15,600,000 acres of State 

 municipal, and private forests, it was found that the average net rev- 

 enue per acre, from good, bad, and indifferent land, was $2.40 a year. 



What, then, has forestry done in Germam^? Starting with forests 

 which were in as bad shape as many of our own which have been 

 recklessly cut over, it raised the average yield of wood per acre from 

 20 cubic feet in 1830 to 65 cubic feet in 1904. During the same pe- 

 riod of time it trebled the proportion of saw timber got from the 

 average cut, which means, in other words, that through the practice 

 of forestry the timberlands of Germany are of three times better 

 quality to-day than when no system was used. And in fifty- four 

 years it increased the money returns from an average acre of forest 

 sevenfold. 



22242— Cir. 140—08 2 



