The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-04

81 sosK q Acrs i BORT THE Foagsrs OF THE
SN ~ Ldnd and Wafer. r. The forests s
az Europe ar e. estimated as being OF, ,OoV
acres ia extent, or SD out twenty per cent. o.
TIC whole area Of the Continent. In Nofto
America It is reckoned that ,a60, u0g.V0o
acres are covered with trees. OF which area
90Ol 900 600 are In British North America.
In South America forests occupy 7O0, wv
acres. The total amount for the two CONT.
neuts OF the New World and Europe gives
5000. 900 geographical miles. The proper;
ton OF forest land to the whole area OF
Europe, as above stated, Is computed at
twenty per cent; ia America, twenty. QUE
per cent. Surprising, therefore, twenty
per cent. 10 be the. proportion 10 ASS;
Africs, and Australia, TIE gran0 totai
Of the forests OF the world cover spsce OF
!. 73& 600 geographical miles. The sreas OF
State forests and woodlands are estimated al
the following figures in the following Eu-
ropean countries: Prussia. 6,2O0,000 acres
Bavaria. S294.000 acres; France, 2 7Oo.0Vo;
Austria. 2, 230, 900 !; Hanover, 9D0.eO0; Wur.
tembure, 400, 0s7:; saxony, 800, 0oo; Eug-
land, s1s:376. The range 10 height OF trees
| varies from the miniature alpine WHO" o,
few inches In height TO the stupendous WEI n-o
lingsonia, which grows to heignt OF GOV
fect, although indeed it IL statea tna' ono e ",
the encalypti often reaches a helgnt oi 4Ao
feet ia Victoria. In SclavonIa Tree cs' leu
the sapiu attains height OF 30 leeI, ane lue
umbrella pines of Italy 200 feet' me jan
forrln big tree is said to girth nlnetysix iee1'
The destruction of woods aud io!esls, nom-
eyer, Is very enormous. and 10 tne tnsJ'iey
of instances no attempts are oeiog maoe loi
their reproduction. In South A!Ilca, We az
i HaStr0VeO
made waste annu.lly. Ia New Zealand the
thirty ner cent, of forest existing in 1851
had sunk to twenty.eight in 1858, and 70
eighteen In 1878; which rate of dminutlop,
| If continued, would result Ia the total de-
strpctiop of the New Zealard forests oy
| 1889, In American the United states
especisliy-the consumption OF TIMBER IS
enormous; and although public attention mas
| beea called to the matter, and the United
States statute of March, 1875, imposes me
| of $500 or years Imprisonment TOR Wanton
| injury or destruction Of trees, and also hne
of 1890 or six months Imprisonment Tor
allowing cattle to injure trees son Natlonai
| Grounds,D the yearly consumption and i'm /.
proyident use of timber is incredible. Al.
though, says toe Scientific American, there
| are no available statistics to show the exact
rate OF speed with which they are using up
the wood supply, it is easy to see that it Is
! being done With great rapdity. Taking the
Legitimate use of timber slore, industries
based on its manufacture constitute the Sc
cond In point of magnitude in America, and
are only exceeded by the iron interest
Abeut 10000 persons are stated to be EN-
ployed In producing sawed lumber al'pe
S143 100000 are invested therein; "ano
], 295, 600 laths, 1856, 0O0,000 shingles. ant
l12. 766, 100000 feet of timber are yearly
manufactured" On the secondary Indus
tries based on the use of lumber IS raw
! material, carpentry. cabinet-making, ship
building, etc.,, millions of people are EN-
, ployed. According to Professor Brewer
assertion, wood forms the fuel Of two third
the population, and the partial fuel OF nin'
tenths or the remaining third; add this u
the former estimate, and some general ide;
will be obtained of the enormous drain upoI
American forests that is constantly in pro
} gress. AS fact. 1t Is we'll known that il
. 1872 as many as 10000 acres of forest wer,
stripped of their timber to supply Chicag'
with fuel, and yet no attempt made to re