St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-11-06

ington Territory and Il third of Oregon.
California has. perhaps. 5OO.OOO acres of
forest now. of which fully one-half has
been cut away within the last two OF
three Years. Here in New York we
have no considerable forests left eX-
ccpt in the Adirondack region. Our
wealth of maple. walnut, and hickory is
substantially gone. and Il large part of
it has been Wlntomly destroyed. Wis
con>in had Il magnificent forest growth.
but Tie people are sweeping it away at
Il mary clou>iy rapid rate. One billion
feet of timber were cut in Il single year.
1t will not take more than IL decade or
two al the utmost to fairly exhaust this
source of wealth to the state. Michigan.
Minnesota are following i'll the same
course. Sla>hiHg away at thcir forests as
if IL nee had no right to lift its head.
One of our most intelligent army off
GERS. Gen. BriSbin. who knows the west
crn country thoroughly. and to whose
accurate know ledge of this subject We
are indebted for many facts. SAYS that
1000 acres of Wisconsin timber are
cut aiInuL!IN 1" supply the kan>;IS and
Nebraska nalkrt> alone. The Saginaw
forests Hlc even now practically DIES
jloN we'd. and if the Northern Pacific rail
way is built. il will open mp to the a\
tine one remaining belt "t American
tinirrl. il. Oregon ani Washington Ter
IItuIN.
The railroads have been the great de
>tIoNcr> of "ui forests. They list one
hundred ;jud sixty millions of ties an
h.,t tl.. lev. nf at
least i:Ti.nO0 acres of trees. The tim
l., I they use. also. is not the refuse or
the inferior. hut among the very best.
tine Young trees. eight /" ten inches i'll
diameter. The Union Pacific Campo. y
undcItu"k at inst t" lay their road with
cotton wood ties. drawn from the coca
>iuual Wondcd c;imon> along the lines of
the road. bHc consequence al tins WAS
shown in our Washington despatch the
other day. regarding the legislation to
he asked ilom Congress tni the rrllci OF
the read. The Government tomml>-
sion appointed to examine the line re
ported that II Vas not completed within
the terms of the law. The use ct these
soft wood ties MIS- held 10y them to he
an evasion al contract. and Government
patents iut the lands granted along tw"
al three hu drrd miles of the road have
accordingly been refused. The settlers
" lio hdN, hnH.hi thc lands cali get II"
iltl", from The company for It has none.
This looks bad for our forests, since II
mc:li> tn" ultimate destruction of thou
sands of acres more at good timber Ia
replace. ih, condemned ties Which have
alrcad. swept oil Il large part al the few
pIcciou~ gloWtli> Of this comparatively
trrrlr>> legion. II ii l. remembered
that ties have, to hc renewed every >cN-
en- yr.rl>. tli, extent of the demand on
our forests Mil hr appreciated. Whcn
lU.iHW miles more at rails have been
laid. it will require all the Young trees
in tn" r"uullN to supply the demand
for tir>.
Fences are also runrrn"ll> consumers
of trees. In the East We axe learning
in this regard economy from mrc'>>iIN,
huI III tine west. in some states. the
iIrncI- cut down the forests with
scarcely more thought thar they han
vest their grain. The fences OF the
uit"d States. people may not general
~ know. haNr cost more than the lands.
and ave to-day ihc most Valuable class
at property. save IIilI" Id> and real Is
tate in cities. Illinois alone has -.
WO.NW invested in fences, and they
cost annually -;l7j.0ou i"l repairs. Ia
Nebraska. where excellent herd laws
.llr IN force. the necessity i"i fences lEi>
been 81 much lr>>rnrd that the fences
of the state cost less in prop"lIi"n To
i,"i,ui.rI"n than in any other in the
mon.
he outrageous waste al Timber calls
ed hl the telling of forests and huruu"
at the trees Ia bring the land under
cultivation goes on still at Il fearful
rate. From l~'O to $50 no les than
twelve million acres of forest were thus
WantnnlN destroyed. For fuel also vast
tracts aIc lcyclrd of their trees. 1t
took lO.OuO acres Of forest to supply
Chicago with fuel in one year, l-1l.
Our annual decrease of forest from all
these causes l. mot far from -.UUO.Wu
acres. Vet We plant only 10000 acres
of new forest Il wear.
The urcc>~ifN for Il Commission of
Forestry. and he need of efficient laws
in all the states for the preservation of
ouI forests. need II" further Argument
than thc>, facts. Y. \. Times.