The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-11-27
aonre, garden and farm
DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.
Some Rather Startling Facts and Figures.


Rather Startling Facts and FiguYes-
The constant and reckless destruction
of forests is fast bringing us TO condi-
tiou In which there viii be occasion for
real alarm. 1t is nst probable that any
"scare" like that which few years ago
went over England, concerning the pros
peet exhaustion Of her coal supply VIII
Immediately occur in America, touching
the loss Of our forests, but we wish
something near enough approaching II
might happen to stop w"rk that Is iui
of evil promise.
In the whole United States there is ;
left but one really great tract Of timber
It lies at the far extreme Of our country,
and consists of about one-half Of Wash
ington Territory, and a third of Oregon.
California has perhaps, 500, 600 acres OF
forests now, Of which fully one-half mas
been cut away within the last two or
three years. Here in New York We have
10 considerable forest left except in the
Adirondack region. Our wealth Of maple,
walnut, and hickory is substantially
gone, and large part of it has been
wantonly destroyed. Wisconsin had
magnificent forest growth, but the peo-
pie are sweeping it away at a rapid rate.
One million feet of timber were cut in
single year. 1t will not take more than
decade or two at the utmost to fairly
exhaust this soGrce Of wealth to the
State. Michigan and Minnesota are fol-
lowing in the same course, slashing away
at their forests as if a tree had no right
to lift its head. One of our most intelli-
gent army officers, General Brisbin,
who knows the Western country thor
oughIy, and to whose accurate knowl-
edge of this subject we are indebted for
facts, says that 80, 900 acres of Wiscon-
sic timber are cut annually to supply the
Kansas and Nebraska markets alone.
The Saginaw forests are even now prac-
tically destroyed, and If the Northern
Pacific Railroad is built, it will open up
to the ak the one remaining belt of
American timber, in Oregon and Wash
iegton Territory.
The railroads have been greater de-
stroyers of our forests. They use 160,
900, 600 of ties annually-that means the
Ieveling of at least $50, 600 acres of trees.
The timber they use, also, is not the re-
fuse or the inferior, but among the very
best and finest trees, eight to ten inches
IN diameter. The Union Pacific Com
pany undertook at first to lay their road
with cottonwood ties, drawn from the
occasional wooden canyons along the
line Of the road. One consequence of
this was shown in our Washington dis
patch, the other day, regarding the leg
islation to be asked of Congress for the
relief of the road. The Government
Commission appointed to examine the
line, reported that it was not completed
within the terms of the law. The use of
these soft wood ties was held by them TO
be an evasion of the contract, and Gov
ernment patents for the lands granted
along two or three hundred miles of the
road have accordingly been refused.
The settlers who have bought the lands
can get no titles from the company, for
it has none. This looks bad for our for
ests, since it means the ultimate destruc-
ton of thousands of acres of more good
timber 10 replace the condemned ties,
which have already swept off a large
part of the few precious growths of this
comparatively treeless region. If it is
remembered that ties have to be renew
ed every seven years, the extent of tile
demand on our forests will be apprecia-
ted. When 10, 900 miles more of rails
have been laid, it will require all the
young trees in the country to supply the
demand for ties.
Fences are also enormous consumers
of trees. In the East we are learning
in this regard, economy from necessity,
but it in the West, in some States. the
farmers cut down the forests with scaI ce-
ly more thought than their grain. The
fences of the United States people may
not generally know, have cost more
than the Lands, and are, to-day, the most
valuable class of property save railroads
and real estate in the cities. Illinois
alone has s., 900, 900 invested in fences,
and they cost annually SIZE, 900 for re-
pairs. In Nebraska, where excellent
herd laws are in force, the necessity for
fences has been so much lessened that
the fences of the State cost less in pro-
portion to population than in any other
IN any other in the Union.
The outrageous waste of timber caus-
ed by the falling of the forests and the
burning of the trees to bring the land
under cultivation still goes on at fear
full rate From 1860 to 1870 no less
than 12,000, 600 acres of forests were
thus wantonly destroyed For fuel, al
SO, vast tracts are leveled of their trees.
1t took 10, 900 acres of forest to supply
Chicago with fuel one year, 1861. Our
annual decrease of forest from all these
causes is not far from 5000, 900 acres
Yet we plant only 10000 acres of new
forest year.
The necessity fora commission of for
estry, and the need of efficient laws in
all the States for the preservation of our
forests, need no further argument than
these facts-N. Y Times.
Shall the Corn Be Sold Now?
correspondent of the hicagoTE-JaRe
saws on this tonic. ssNow corn Is SalI