The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-18

past, and the Pine-Tree State obtains
much of the pine which it consumes
from Canada and Michigan. As factors
in the country's supply of lumber the
forests of Maine are not now worth con.
sideration. An examination of their
actual condition, however, shows that
their future is not without hope, and
that in no other part of the country can
such valuable lessons in forest economy
be learned. Prof. Sargent, in this Bull
letin, calls attention to the fact that
"the system of cutting only the large
trees and carefully protecting the re.
mainder prevails in Maine and allows
the forest to be profitably worked al
stated periods. varying from fifteen to
twenty-five years" The state of public
feeling which has made such a system
possible has not yet extended much be-
yond the State, but the fact that forest
owners in Maine have been able success
fully to guard their property against fire
and introduce a sensible system of pre-
serving their young and half-grown
trees, indicates that a similar public
sentiment may in other parts of the
country attend enhanced values of for
est property.
Fire is the greatest check to the
spread of forest growth in the Eastern
States; but, as we have more than once
pointed out in these columns, means
will be found to reduce the number and
extent of forest fires as soon as the mon
ey value of the forest makes its preser-
walton of prime importance to COM
munity. Such has been the case in
Maine. Its great source of wealth and
prosperity existed in its forests. They
were fast melting away, and what fires
and the improvident methods of the old
days had left became of such vital. i'm
portancc to the welfare of the whole
people that the preservation of the REM
nants became possible. In Maine for
est fires are now of comparatively rare
occurrence. The entire forest growth
is not cut off. as in the Northwestern
pineries: all trees below a certain size
are allowed to grow for another har-
vest; and young pine, which is freely
springing up in some parts of the State,
is carefully watched and guarded as a
farm crop. Unfortunately, these wise
measures were not adopted, or their
necessity even dreamed of, until the
great pine supply of the State had been
practically exhausted; but it is growing
again, and, while Maine will never yield
second crop of pine equal to the first,
it is not at all improbable that she will
regain-and before many years-her
position OF first among the white-pine
producing States.
Forestry Bulletin No. 16, with an &C
companying map, treats of the pine and
spruce supply of New Hampshire and
Vermont. The original pine woods in
both these States has entirely disap-
peared, although the valley of the Con-
necticut, the shores of Lake Champlain,
and all of Southeastern New Hampshire
were once covered with vast forests of
white pine. A growth of white pine has
sprung up, principally in the southern
part of these States, and these young
forests furnished a cut of over one hum
dred million feet of lumber during the
census year. But these trees are cut
too young. and at too great sacrifice
of future profit. The spruce forests of
New Hampshire and Vermont, although
reduced BY fully three quarters of their
original extent, still cover considerable
areas in the White Mountain region and
along the ridge of the Green Mountain
range. Young second-growth pine is
carefully protected from fire, and
"sprout" pine lands are now held at
high fgu es: but the spruce forests are
not vet as well preserved or carefully
worked as in Maine, and they are too
often the prey to destructive fires. tbs
worthy of remark that Burlington, once
N the heart of great coniferous forests.
and still the third lumber distributing
point in the United States Chicago and
Albany being the first and seconds
wholly supplied with Canadian lumber.
~ Y. Eoening Post.