Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-15

OF the New England, Middle Western and
Northwestern states lying east of the Rocky
Mountains, twenty six states in ALL there are
only four-Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota--which have a timber supply in
excess of their own wants. For white pine,
the wood of prime importance, all parts of
the country turn to Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota and nearly all of the general sup
ply of that timber is taken from those states.
Several years ago, Mr.. James Little of Mon
treal called attention to the enormous drain
upon those states, and predicted that they
would not be able to respond to it for more
than six or seven years. The Northwestern
Lumberman now cites figures which it has
derived from the forthcoming reports of the
census, which go far to justify the apprehen-
sions expressed by Mr.. Little, by showing
not only that the enormous drain upon the
resources of those states continues, but that
the supply existing there has been very con-
ciderably over-estimated. For example, in
Minnesota, where the pine timber supply had
been popularity estimated at 40, O00, 600, 900
feet, the census disclosed only 6, $50, 900, 600
in Wisconsin, estimated TO contain from So
900 600 600 to 100, OOO, 600, 900, there were on
ly 40, 500, 900, 900; and in Michigan there
were 81, 900, 600, 900, making total supply
of 81, 800, OO0,O 900 of pine timber. The ag-
gregate cut and destruction of pine in the
three states is about 5000, 000, 900 feet per
annum. Deducting last winters cut, there
fore, there remain standing at the present
time in these three states only about 10, 500,
900, 900 feet. This amount is scarcely more
than ought to be retained to supply the home
needs of these states, yet it represents the re-
serve supply of the whole country and it il
being drawn upon at a rate which will totally
exhaust it in a few years. Formerly, as Mr.
Little III recent communication in the New
York Times has remarked, when the New
England states parted with their pine, there
remained the forests of New York, Pennsyl.
Vania and Canada TO fall back upon, and
these in turn fell back upon Michigan, but
now the reserves are themselves about gone
and even Canada has to compete for supplies
in the forests of Michigan and Wisconsin foi
the English market.
The seriousness of this matter has hardly
been generally understood hitherto. We
have gone on using up our pine timber sup
ply very much as if we thought that it wai
inexhaustible. Very little has been done any.
where in the way of renewing it, and as We
have cleared one state after another of III
pine forests, the axes of the lumbermen hav,
been set at work in some new region, a.
though the process were one which might e
on indefinitely. The most wasteful method
of cutting and saving have gone on uncheck
ed and the pine has been consumed in mul
titude of uses for which other and less Valua
BILE timber would have been Just as well suit
ed. Meantime, while the supply has beer
thus steadily diminished, in all sorts of nee
essary and unnecessary ways, the demand
has been as rapidly increasing, with tn,
growth Of our population, and the establish
ment OF new industries and the extension o
old Onaa