Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-11-19
The Worlds Timber Supply.

o1JA0
ELLA WHEELER.
The Worlds Timber Supply.
The substitution of iron for wood in many
branches of manufacture, more especially in
the case of iron vessels and sleepers for rail-
roads, has by no means curtailed the worlds
demand for timber. The multifarious uses
of wood, the vast amount of building that
is going on in all civilized countries, to say
nothing of the rapid multiplication of all
kinds of factories, brings us face to face
with the question, is the wood supply suf-
ficient for prospective requirements? In
considering this question an Eastern COM
mercial paper groups most of the facts
which have any bearing on the answer. The
United States and Canada, as is well known,
have been the greatest shippers of American
lumber of late years; but the time was when
as many as 900 cargoes Timber were an
nually loaded at Memel for Great Britain
alone. Not only is the demand increasing,
but, what is the most serious feature of the
situation, forests are rapidly disappearing,
and thus far no eficacious steps have been
taken in any country to renew them.
Sweden and Norway were at one time re-
garded as inexhaustible sources of supply.
All the great forests there were bought up
by English merchants and contractors, and
now those countries have partly to draw
their supplies from further north and i'm
port their oak from Poland. Northern Rus
STA, which was at one time an immense for
est all the way from the Baltic to the Ural
Mountains, has increased its cuttings SO
rapidly that st. Petersburg even has to
bring its heavy timber now from the centre
of the Empire. The once great forests of
Finland also are almost cleared away. The
forests along the Vistula and the Nieman,
which may be considered as the sources of
supply for the great Memel trade, have re-
coded, we are told, to such an extent that
it is difficult to fill orders at Koeingsburg,
Tilsit and Dantzig.
Germany has upward Of 80, 000,0 900 acres
of forests, Prussia possessing the larger por
ton; but their value is greatly diminished
by the inferior quality of the pine in the
northern provinces. Austria had magni-
fcent forests formerly, and there still re-
mains to her 18, 343, $40 hectares, or half as
much more as possessed by Germany
These are mostly i'll Bohemia, Gallica and
Pennsylvania, and the fact that they are SO
far removed from navigation renders them
practically unavailable for the European
markets. The forests that once covered the
eastern shores of the Adriatic are entirely
gone.
italy has considerable extent of forests
lin round numbers, $4,000, 900 acres-but
the difficult nature of the passesi in the Alps
and Apennines renders it impossible to
work them to commercial advantage. Spain
has 100000 acres of forests, but the wood
man is hampered there also by the nature
of the ground. Portugal, with good sea-
board, has no difficulty in getting rid of the
small extent of forest land that now remains
that is to say, not mora than million
acres. Turkey has extensive forests in
Roumelia, near Constantinople, and also in
various parts of its Asiatic possessions; but
the population has been-what Turks pro-
verbally re-destructive, and no provision
has been made for systematic replanting.-
France figures for about %, 900, 900 acres Of
forest. In Great Britain the supply OF
home wood is simply nil; trees are there
simyly for ornament; while in Ireland i'm.
poverished landlords have ruthlessly cut
down woods that had served very important
meteorological purposes
The smaller countries import, but gener
ally through England or France. The sup
ply and demand being thus roughly estimat
ed, it may be observed that the cost of tap
Ping the immense forests of Central Africa
and America would at once cause revolu
ton in the present condition of the timber
trade.
While the supply of timber in the United
States is fully equal to present demands, il
is difficult to foresee what may be the in
creased requirements, domestic and foreign
in the early future. 1t is very certain that
due provision is not made for replanting; and
while some States have shown considerable
care and energy in that respect, others have
been singulary negligent. What, in the
course of a few years, will become of tho
lumber trade of Pensacola, Mobile and 9th
er Southern ports, with the present rate Of
clearing?
In Canada, we observe, the subject is be
ginning to attract the attention it deserves
and in the face of the increasing shipments
from st. John, Miramichi, Quebec and 9th
er ports, there is no doubt that even ther'
the supply in the course of brief time will
cargoes in 1881 from St. John, N. B., wer,
303, and the superficial feet of deals, 80,
PSI, 730, besides 5, 152 tons Of birch and 1, 81
of pine. In 1872 only 1873, 791, 900 feet wer'
shipped. From Miramichi 279 vessels wer'
sent out last year with 1913, 81, 900 feet o
deals, 1,034 tons of birch, 1000 tons of pine
and 3,22S, 900 pieces of paling. The tota
shipments of deals from Canadian ports il
1881 were 400, 1876, 905 superficial feet-a de
crease, however, from 1880, when 431, 055,
STA feet were shipped.
Our most important source of supply, the
great Northwest, it is known, is ex posed to
improvident methods and reckless waste
and these, must ere long lead to serious
depletion of the forests Gas theyhave already
led to important climatic changes not ALWAYS
favorable in sanitary respect,) unless
some intelligent system is generally adopt
ed, not only for arresting future waste, but
encouraging replanting. Nature is ever
responsive to mans wants, but there is a
point at which nature will resent mans
wastefulness and neglect. -MnnaJactawer
and Builder.
"'Tis love that makes the world go
round ~ exclaimed the married man whose