. Conservation. Forests and forestry. 154 CONSERVATION PROFIT IN FORESTS Can private owners afford to hold and improve forests ? Light was thrown on this question by the following state- ment and colloquy: Dr. J. T. Rothrock: A few years ago we purchased from the lumbermen of Pennsylvania 14,000 acres of land, at a price, I think, of $2 an acre. These same gentlemen came to our office a short time ago and made a formal offer to us of five times as much money as they had received from the state, merely for permis- sion to go on that land again and re-timber it-—cut the timber off. It was stripp
. Conservation. Forests and forestry. 154 CONSERVATION PROFIT IN FORESTS Can private owners afford to hold and improve forests ? Light was thrown on this question by the following state- ment and colloquy: Dr. J. T. Rothrock: A few years ago we purchased from the lumbermen of Pennsylvania 14,000 acres of land, at a price, I think, of $2 an acre. These same gentlemen came to our office a short time ago and made a formal offer to us of five times as much money as they had received from the state, merely for permis- sion to go on that land again and re-timber it-—cut the timber off. It was stripped land when we got it. The price of lumber has gone up to such an extent that they were willing to give us five times as much as they had received for the land, and give us the land back, they only taking the timber. I am free to say here that if the state of Pennsylvania, by legislative enactment, were to offer all the land it has in a block, a syndicate would be formed inside of a month that would take the whole of the state's holdings off its hands at twice what it paid for them. Mr. William Canfield Lee: Dr. Rothrock, if, as you say, these lands have advanced so in value that ihey could all be sold readily at a much advanced price, what becomes of the argument that private owners cannot afford to maintain and im- prove the forests? Dr. Rothrock: I do not think there is very much in that, except that they have to wait so long before there is any profit. My own belief is that any man who owns forest land can afford to take care of it, and he will get a good return in his lifetime. That is my belief, but you cannot get the majority of men to believe View Showing llie Remaining Portion of the Arizona Dam, Wliich Was Washed Away by Flood. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original American Fore
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectforestsandforestry
