The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-02-28
THE TRANSCRIPT.
FRIDAY February IS, 1865.


,,.h;ob Is worthy the close attention OF
,rl.ndIords. farmers and mechanics
The writer. Rev Frederick Starr, Jr.,
ofSt. Louis. presents a strong array OF
ipnortant facts to show how dangerous
- i TO the best interests of the country,
10 longer neglect TO replace trees
that have been removed. The evils OF
mast destruction are shown in several
wavs. There is great increase in the
cost of fuel, as well as in the price OF
lumber and timber; the high fares and
freight charges on our lines of travel
and transportation result from the in
creased cost of building and equipping
steamboats, and railroads. The growth
of our cities is retarded by the high
price of lumber and timber; small and
often uncomfortable tenements are built
where larger, more substantial and cost
ly ones would have been erected. The
costliness of lumber also makes furni-
ture very expensive, so that our coun-
trymen must purchase poorer and less
elegant articles than the same money
would otherwise provide, or consume
means they need for other permanent
uses. Ships, railroad depots and freight
and passenger cars cost nearly double
what they did few years ago; and, of
course, passengersan shippers offreight
must pay more than they did then.
Foreign nations are also consumers
of our forests. Oak and pine are eX-
ported by us to other countries for pur-
poses of house and ship carpentry. Mr.
Starr says that single gun factory in
Europe, during the first two years ofthe
rebellion, consumed Is, 900 walnut trees,
to supply gun-stocks for the American
market. This fact will give some in
distinct idea Of the consumption of lum-
Der in great factories of cabinet ware,
where the amount of wood required for
the smallest article exceeds that requir-
ed for the stocking of market. In the
State of New York alone, within the
ten years from 1850 to 1860, there were
brought under cultivation 1867 ,433 acres
of land hitherto unimproved. As there
are scarcely any lands in the State of
New York naturally untimbered, it is
probable that during those two years
more than SOC, 900 acres of what had
been Tor was them timbered land, was
cleared for the purpose of lumber and
agriculture. Thus, 500 acres of land
were changed from Woodworking and
timber-growing each day, for 300 days
each year, through that period of ten
years, into farming lands.
During the same ten years more than
100000 600 of acres IN our whole country
were brought under cultivation. But
these improvements were especially
made in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Wis
consin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and
Texas. We will allow for unwooded
country brought into cultivation two
fifths of the whole, (which is probably
more than twice a. much as was the
fact; ( this will leave three-fifths Of the
S0,000,O0O of acres brought into cultiva-
ton, or thirty millions of acres, which
were lands either previously or during
those years heavily timbered. Assum-
ing, as before, 300 working days in each
year, 100000 of acres were thus, each
year, lost to tree-growing, or 10, 900 acres
each day.
If, for twenty years TO come, the
writer continues, the demand for lum-
Der shall advance in the same ratio to
the population as in the past twenty,
more than two hundred millions Of dol
lars worth of american s0lUed lumber
will be needed each year, and the same
ratio in increase of population, which
has called the fifty millions of acres in
TO use in ten yeaes, will then be calling
il in the rate of more than 100, 000, 900 of
acres each ten years. Our native born
and foreign population viii have farms, |
lots and houses, fences, furniture, vehi- |
cles and agricultural implements; but !
every year they will impoverish the
United States more and more of her |
lumber, and all these things viii de- |
mand a higher price.
The great State of New York still |
holds pre-eminence as furnishing more |
lumber than any other State; but as |
long ago a. 1850 it reached its maximum |
of its ability to furnish lumber With |
the enhanced price of 1860, as compared |
with $780, that State produced about |
one million dollars less of lumber in 1860 |
than in 1850; while the State during |
those ten years increased her popula- |
81, ,e.1 h.,r /
of lumber almost one million dollars |
each year. Five other States in this /
Union also diminished their supplies of |
lumber almost one million of dollars |
each year. Some of the newer States
are developing their lumber interests /
but our whole country aided by foreign |
nationst is using up the products oftheir
forests very rapidly.
Mr.. Starr then goes on to show how
much timber has been consumed by
building railroads, by mechanical in
dusfry, by war, &C., and asks the i'm
portant question, can anything be done
TO check this destruction? and how
None OF the more valuable kinds of TIM
Der should be removed until they have
reached fair maturity. Timber which
stands well located in the forests. with
suitable room, and which is making
vigorous growth, should by all means,
be spared as long"as possible. In re-
moving trees, let view be had TO the
protection of the remaing forest. taking
those decaying and liable to fall. and
those that have become insecure and
are liable to become uprooted by violent
storms. Take away large, branching
and yet indifferent trees where the
WOODS are sparse, and set young trees
ana plant nuts of valuable varieties in
The area thus opened, and LET the SIM
shine and air start them together that
they may grow thriftily and ADVANTAGE
ously. The writer advocates extensive
protracted and scientific experiments
IN the propagation and cultivation of
forest trees. In European countries. he
says, vast sums have been expended and
years-yes, lives of eminent men have
been spent in observation and expert