The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-11-24
DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.


The constant and reckless destruction
OF our forests is fast bringing us to con
dition in which there will be occasion TO
real alarm. 1t is Tot probable that auy
"scare" like that which few years age
went over England concerning the pro
spective exhaustion Of her coal supply
viii! Immediately occur in America.touch
ing the loss Of our forests, but We wisl
something near enough approaching i
might happen TO stop work that i, ful
Of evil promise
In the whole United States there i
but osie really great tract Of timber. I
lies at the far extreme of our country ant
consists of n5ont one half Of Washingto,
territory and third of Oregon. Cali
iornia has, perhaps 100000 acres of ft r
est now, Of which fully one.half has beer
cut away within the last two or thre
years. Here in New York we have N
considerable forest left except in the Ad
irondack region. Our wealth Of maple
walnut and hickory is substantially gone
and large part Of it has been wantonly
destroyed. Wisconsin had a magnificent
forest growth, but the people are sweeping
it away at fearful rate. On, billion fee
Of timber were cut in single year. Il
will not take more than decade or twt
at the utmost to fairly exhaust this source
Of wealth to the States Of Michigan ant
Minnesota are following in the same
course, slashing away at their forests as
if tree had no right TO litt its head. On,
of our most intelligent army officers, G EN-
eral Brisbin. who knows the wester coun
try thoroughly, and to whose accurat,
knowledge Of this subject we are indebted
for many facts, says that 10000 acres o
Wisconsin timber are cut annually to sup
ply the Kansas and Nebraska market,
alone. The Saginaw forests are even nov
practically destroyed, and if the Northern
Pacific railway is built, it will open up tc
the ak the one remaining belt of Ameri
can timber. in Oregon and Washington
territory.
The railroads have been the great de
stroyers Of the forests. They use on,
hundred and sixty millions OF ties annu
all-that means the leveling Of at eas
10000 acres OF trees The timber the,
use also, is no. the refuse or the inferior
but among the very best. fine young tree.
eight or ten inches in diameter. Th,
Union Pacific company undertook at frs
to lay their road with cotton wood ties
drawn from the occasional wooded can
yons along the inc of the road One
consequence Of this was shown 10 our
Washington despatch, the other day, re.
garding the legislation to be asked o.
Congress for the relief Of the road. Th,
Government commission appointed TO ex
anime the line, reported that it was no
completed within the terms of the law
The use Of these soft wood ties was hec
by them to be an evasion Of contract aud
government patents for the land grasteC
along two or three hundred miles Of the
road have accordingly been refused The
settlers who bought the londs can get nc
titles from the company for il has none
This looks bad for our forests. since i
means the ultimate destruction Of thou
sands OF acres Of more good timber to re
place the condemned ties, which have al
ready swept off n large part Of the pre-
cio)us grow,hs Of this comparatively tree
less region, II it be remembered tina,
ties have 10 be renewed every seven year
the extent Of the demand on our forests
will be appreciated. When 5000 mile
more OF rails has been laid. II will requir,
oil the young trees in the country tt
supply the demand for ties
Fences are also enormous con,umers o
trees In the east We are learning il
this regard economy from necessity. bu
in the west in some States, the farmer!
cut down the forests with scarcely NOR,
thought than they harvest grain. TIL,
fences of the United States people may
not generally know. have cost more thar
the lands, and are to-day, the most valu
able claos OF property. save railroads ant
real estate In cities Illinois alone hu
S2,0OO,000 invested in fences, and the,
cost annually $4,000 for repairs. Ii
Nebraska, where excellent herd laws ar,
in force, the necessity for fences has beer
so much lessened that the fences for tn,
State cost less in proportion to the popu
laiion'than in any in the Union.
The outrageous waste of timber cause,
by tho Telling Of forests and the burnin!
OF the trees TO bring the land under cult
vation still goes on at fearful rate
from 1860 to 1870 no less than twelv
million acres OF forest were thus wanton
ly destroyed. For fuel also vast tract
are leveled Of their trees. 1t took 10
600 acres Of forest to supply Chicag
with fuel in one year. ISL. Our annu
al decrease Of forest from all these cause
! is not far from 100000 acres. let "
Plant only 10000 acres of new forest
year.
The necessity for II comml,,i ~ of inr
estry and the need Of efficient laws i
all the States for the preservation of on
forests. need IN further argument tina
these facts.