The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-03-13


1, the Lest rsport frem the United States De-
partment Of A9rieultural there i presented q
~ ...ouut 81 information and statistics Of the
oooanmutioa Of wood in our country, and the 81
fsets ef the wholesale destruction Of our Amsri-
can forests, From facts and figures too accurate
schsracter to be disputed, the conclusion is nov
reaobsd that unless measures arc takea immsdi-
stsly, = replace by new plantations the supplies
vithdrawn BY the destruction Of eur old forests,
there yin be An actual famine for weed In the
country within the next thirty years. .iie
Few ere aware of the reckless waste Of timber
going on and yet they osght to know, for the
chsnge OF climate and the extremes Of tempera-
ture which we now endure were not formerly
known, and are q convincing evidences Of this
fact. II is true that coal or peat may b suisti-
tuted for purposes Of fuel ; but in the mechani.
cd arts, in building houses ships. or innumer-
able other purposes, we mnst have weed, good,
seuAd, aud strong. oW
The black walnut is rarely found now in the
Eastern and Middle States where once it was
plenty Our pine comes from Michigan, Wis
censin and Minnesotx, and beyond, TO the value
Of tens IT millions Of dollars, to supply our de-
nands bHoals aai 80 aaAua FsA 7t'
II In the single state of New York from 1850 to
1860, there were reclaimed from the forest and
brought into cultivation no less than ,967.
533 acres OF land. All these acres will never
&BBtu W oovotol " kIOWiuSs oAu otili JaAc
destruction goes on.
II the present demand for lumber continues in
proportion TO the increase Of population, in TWEEN
u years from now we shall need $2OO, 100000
worth of sawed lumber annually. And where
are we TO obtain il.
IL IA estimxted that from 1850 TO 1860 no less
than 5O,0OO.OV0 acres Of new land in the United
States were brought under cultivation, Of which
2-5ths were timber land. And in the decade
Al L. l.. IL.
600 acres 50 reclaimed.
We do not see here the wild cherry OF cucum-
Der tree. The hard maple and hickory are al
most entirely gone while entire sections have
been'dsnuded of hemlock and pine.
The seepers On tpe railroads OF onr country
from 1859 to 1850 cost So, 053,957, and their
number was G5,s97, 020. asd when it is remem.
bered that these almost entirely hard wood,
and last but two to five yearsit will be that
the annual supply for this purpose is enormous,
and Increasing fast new railroads are be-
ing built s, ii. o W
1t is a noteworthy fact that woed in all its
branches Of manufacture and use pays more than
one-half the entire internal revenue of the Uni.
ted States, aud no less than siKty.six trades de-
peld upon vesd AZ the bare material for heir
labor.
Again, there are needed upon every farm, i'm
proyenentssin the shape Of buildings, fences and
implements, which in their first oest fern very
large comparison with the actual cost of the
farms: thesesre dscsying every year, and mus
BE- rene wed.H fft
The value OF the farms of the United States in
1850 Was was $G,654 054, 200, while the value Of
the lumber improvements was - 1922 ,522, 000.
All this has been cut from the soil. and most Of
it within thirty years. Not single thing hss
been do.e 70 replace it. st,A
Again. in the year, there was used for repairs