Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-12-24
Agricultural.
The supply Of wood and Timber---WIII
It be ENhnuHtedf

Ht be Exhausted
The suggestions in the last number of The
PHOENIX, OF our correspondent from Castle
ton, in regard to the exhaustion Of wood and
timber from the valley Of the West river, are
worth considering We do not, however,
fully share his apprehension that this section
is to be stripped of its forest supplies in con-
sequence Of the building Of the Brattleboro
4 Whitehall railroad. The supply of the
common kinds of lumber has been in excess
Of the demand, and prices for hemlock, spruce,
chair. stock, etc, were never much lower than
just before the late revival of business Con-
trary to what might have been expected, the
supply of the cheaper qualities of lumber in
creases rather than diminishes as the country
grows Older. e., compared with the demand,
which requires argely-increased production.
Though referring only TO this locality we
judge from the quotations of the lumber mar
kets that the same statement applies to large
extent of territory in the Eastern States. 1t
is true that here, as elsewhere, some of the
moro valuable kinds of timber are in danger
Of determination but in most Of the towns
of Windham county wood is growing faster
than it is removed, and it is a question wheth-
er there is not as much hard wood and hem
lock, suitable for saving into lumber, as could
have been found forty years ago-whether all
that has been used during the last forty years
has not been replaced by the new growth. In
these towns neglected lands are soon covered
with the forest in pastures not closely fed,
the use of the axe is necessary to keep the
trees from taking full possession. Large
areas, formerly cleared, have reverted to their
former condition, and the second growth for
est now covers thousands of acres of such
lands. Though not yet past middle age, we
can point out woodlot estimated to bear
more than % cords of wood per acre, that was
an open pasture in our boyhood. To many
persons of middle age, or past it, a similar
recollection will occur of acres once without
trees-perhaps at one time cultivated-but
now covered with thick growth of wood.
The average annual growth of forest trees
has been stated by some writers to be about
one cord per acre, but we think this is too
low an estimate for Vermont A recent news
paper article by Elizur Wright, of Boston,
says I'm Sweden it is ascertained that a
forest of mixed wood on medium soil grows
about cord of wood a year on an acre of
land. If much more than cord is removed
from an acre in year, the produ ction is re-
duced. But to keep the production from dim
inishing it makes all the difference in the
world what trees you take away-whether you
take those which are beginning TO decay, or
those which are in the rapidest stage of
growth. 1t is only by the best judgment i'll
thinning out that the capital of growth can be
kept whole, after forest has become well
established"
1t is frequently said that the yearly growth
of wood on ten acres of forest land is suffi-
Gent to supply fuel for the ordinary use of
family. This corresponds nearly with the
estimate quoted in the paragraph above; but
where there is thick growth of thrifty trees
the annual increase is, no doubt, much more
than one cord per acre. Assuming, however,
the average annual growth to be one cord to
an acre, we can make an estimate approx
mating the number of cords of wood yearly
grown in the several towns along the line of
the Brattleboro d Whitehall railroad The
census returns show only the number of acres
of woodland inclosed in farms. The actual
quantity in woods, including wild land, is con-
siderably above what appears by the census.
From the best information at hand, we esti-
mate the number of acres of wood and tim
Der land in