Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-02-13
The Timber OF the Pacific Coast,

Ii Is well Known 10 tnoSe VINO nave
taken any pains to obtain correct in
formation upon the subject, that the
Pacific coast, including both North
and South America, was originally
much less evenly timbered than the
Atlantic coast of the same countries.
That south Of the Gulf of California
there is comparatively no timber of
any account Immediately on the coast.
That the timber OH the coast of this
State does not grow to any size south
of Santa Cruz county, but increases as
you go north. So also in the Sierra
Nevada mountains south of1sl Dorado
county, the timber belt is very much
broken and the quantity of good tim
Der is comparatively light. As you go
north from Ell Dorado, the timber be-
comes more even and dense. And
from Los Angeles to the head of the
Sacramento valley, the whole interior
of the State is almost one vast treeless
plain. The rivers are, or We're, bor-
lered with a narrow strip of low grow
ing scrub oak, willow and ash, of but
little value except for firewood. They
have been Of no value for timber pur-
poses. The northern portion of Cali
fornia, Oregon and Washington Terri
tory are what may be termed good
timber countries. But the timber of
these countries is confined to a few
varieties; mostly pine, redwood, cedar
and fir. No hard wood timber of any
account is found. The Atlantic slope,
on the contrary, including both North
and South America, and extending
from the coast to the Rocky Noun
tains, nearly the center of the conti-
nent, was one vast forest of heavy
timber, including nearly all the use
full varieties of soft and hard wood
known i'm the world.
We think il quite within bounds to
say that from the equator north as far
as the United States possessions ex-
tend, the Atlantic slope originally con-
tanned ten times as much timber as the
Pacific slope extending to the same
summit. Although the settlement of
the Atlantic slope commenced about
400 years ago, the consumption of TIM
Der, except for tirewood, did not COM
mence to any extent until after the
revolution, about one century since.
A committee of intelligent gentlemen
have lately been looking into the tim
Der business of the Atlantic slope of
the United States, and have come to
the conclusion that with the rate of
consumption necessary to supply the
wants OF the country, the great forests
of the West will be consumed within
the period of five years. That whole
slope will then have used up her ORR
ginal supply of timber, and will be
compelled to fall back on the timber
of second growth, and this will go
down almost like prairie grass before
devouring fire. In view of these
facts of history, and in view of the
comparatively limited extent of the
timber on the Pacific coast, and the
much more rapid consumption here
than there, in proportion to popula-
ton, it becomes an interesting and
very important question how long our
timber on the Pacific coast will hold
out The State Board of Agriculture,
in 1871, Investigated this subject pretty
thoroughly as to the timber in this
State. In their report for that year
they state their conclusions in the fol-
lowing language:
at is now but about twenty-five
years since the consumption of timber
and lumber commence in California,
and according to a careful estimate of
those best acquainted with the SUBJ
iect, at least ope-third of all accessible
timber of value growing in the State
is already consumed or destroyed. We
have but just commenced the great
work of internal improvement, such
as the building of railroads, bridges,
warehouses, wharves, factories, bulk
heads, timbering mines, etc, and in
the twenty-five years to come we shall
require for such purposes ten times as
much timber as we have used in that
period of the past" To show that
sagacious business men, both on the
Atlantic and Pacific slopes, are acting
upon the views above set forth, as to
the rapid consumption and consequent
value of timber, we have only to state
that accessible timbered land is great
ly sought for, and is rapidly rising in
value, that this kind of land has more
than doubled in value in. the Missis-
sippi States i'm the past two years, and
is rapidly approaching in value on this
coast. -[Sac. Record.