Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-17
THE NATIONAL FUEL.
"~oo SUI Used by 1hree.fouruhs M
the American Reople.

Inc census bureau reports that wood As still
used by threefourths of the inhabitants of the
United states for cooking food and warming
dwellings The statement seems improbable 10
persons who live In cities or in any portion OF
the western states, where soft coal is found in
great abundance. In these places IL Is rare Ia
ma wood employed rs fuel Tor other purposes
than that OF kindling fires. During the mast
lew years coal has been generally substituted
Tor wood on cars and steamboats, i'm nearly ALI
parts OF the country, as well rs for generating
steam in manufacturing establishments run nv
steam-power. IL must be rememhcras
however, that the majority OF the Inhabitants in
the country live in rural districts that are nat
supplied with coal. and where considerable wood
still remains that is valuable for little else than
fuel. This is the case i'm all the New England
and most of the middle and southern STATES.
Nearly every farmer has wood lot from which
he obtains his supply Of fuel Many haul
wood TO the nearest town 10 sell As
there Is no money OUTLAY for this Kind
Of fuel, IL is used instead Of coal which
must be purchased for cash Persons who
have been accustomed to the use OF wood for
iuel are generally reluctant Ia abandon IT, Their
preferences and pre- induces are all i'm favor of
wood and they continue to use il till they are
compelled to make a change. MANY persons
ave Their houses lifted up with stoves and fire
places for burning wood. and do not wish 10
thail1e tnefl Many OLD persons " no have been
accustomed 10 the Use of wood all their lives
are very reluctant to commence to burn coal
They dislike the smoke il produces and believe
its use renders houses unhealthy
III Is evident. however, that coal will take the
place OF wood IN nearly all portions of the
country within very short time The forests
are being destroyed very fast and little is being
done in most parts of the country to reproduce
them. Much is said and written i'm favor Of
cutivating forest trees for producing wood for
iuri There Is much question. however about
the economy OF raising trees for furnishing fuel
III most parts OF the country. Trees that fur
nish good fuel are OF slow growth. unless
they are planted on soil that will pro-
lace good crops OF corn, small grain and
other articles that will have a ready sale
But few varieties of hardwood trees will attain
growth sufficient to make good cord-wood in
less imam twenty years. After that period ac-
cording to the estimates made foreign countries
the annual growth will amount 10 about one
cord per acre. II is necessary, however in
order TO keep up the productiveness of the
forest. 10 take THIS amount Of wood from trees
that exhibit marks of decay from limbs, or
from young trees that interfere with the
growth OF Others. The expense of plantiny
ana cuitiyating forest Is considerable and
twenty years is long time to wait for any re-
turn. The crops that can be produced on piece
OF ground in twenty years will bring in large
sum- Some persons Who are carried away with the
prospective profits Of forest-tree growing state
that considerable grass eau he raised on land
mainly occupied with forest trees In poInt of
TACT. the grass that can bee grown on land GOV.
cred with forests trees amounts to very little
IL contains little substance. IL may be seen by
chine, and 1t Is very difficult TO cut 1t with
scythe. 1t may be eaten by stock while IL ia
green, but the animals will be likely to do much
damage to the trees.