| Show forest 6 r e t profits ato ts in sho short rt period P not necessary to wait lifetime to realize returns from trees contrary to the current belief one floes does not have to wait a lifetime to realize returns from forest pianta plantations eions a I 1 in fact copti continues E L scovell specialist in farm forestry at rutgers university trees established on idle lands landa next spring will yield the owner a very substantial profit in six to ten years favored of pine and norway spruce or douglas fir Is the answer in a plantation of this sort norway spruce Is planted at ai intervals of six feet in rows six feet apart pine preferably white or red pine Is then planted in the alternate intervals is a the pine grows much more rapidly than the spruce during the first few years it Is best to postpone the planting of tile the pine at least two years from the time the spruce Is set this allows tile the spruce trees sufficient time to become firmly established and to assure their not being crowded too quickly by the pine when planted at this spacing 1200 trees of each species are required on an ae acre re under ordinary conditions the spruce will be suitable for christmas trees when six to ten years old trees of this size are now bringing 50 cents to per tree delivered at the market if two thirds oatlie planted trees reach i the mortality Is generally much lower the harvested crop per acre at present market prices would be worth from to 1200 delivered profit from thinning the pine Is left to grow to timber size elze when harvested at forty years of age it will yield to board feet of lumber per acre worth to at present market prices standing in the field in addition it will yield a small profit when the first thinning la made usually fifteen to 0 o twenty five years after planting and substantial returns from thin aings at regular intervals thereafter the total investment including taxes and compound interest for a ten year period when the christmas trees are harvested will not exceed 35 an acre the additional cost of carrying the pine pine to maturity is practically negil negligible gible |
