The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-22

Wisconsin ................. 4iss37 5sOl2
Total S6,576O6l l,7soOis
Vermont, it will be seen, is the Loui
siana of the North. New York follows
close behind the Green Mountain States
splendid lead, but New York has more
than five times the area of Vermont
and is in a latitude quite as favorable
for sugar-making. 1t is a matter of
some surprise that Names production
is so insignificantly small-about half
that of West Virginia-and that New
Hampshire ranks below Michigan, Ohio
and Pennsylvania in the production of
an article which her climatic location
greatly favors. New Hampshire's pro-
duct is only about one-ffth that of Yer
mont and Names one-eightieth. Those
two states were originally covered by
forests in which pine and spruce ex-
listed in much larger proportions to
hard wood than in Vermont. The lat
ter states greater area of hard wood
and soil that particularly favors the
growth and development of the maple
doubtless explain, to great extent,
her superiority in sugar production.
Still, after these allowances have been
made, it would seem to be true that
either her New England sisters, as well
as states to the West and South, have
either been more ruthless destroyers of
the princely maple and more reckless in
converting it into cord-wOod and lum-
Der, or they do not sufficiently appreci-
ate very important and remunerative
source of revenue. Michigan produces
about three and a half million and
Wisconsin only about half million
pounds, but " it was estimated" says a
competent authority, " in 1870 that, in
Michigan and Wisconsin, on a million
of acres, the hard wood, chiefly maple,
had been cut off and burned in heaps,
simply to clear the land for agricultural
use. Those who cleared the land in
that wasteful way now see their mis-
take, and would gladly replace those
trees if they could. Michigan, having
well-nigh swept off her pine forests, is
now learning to be more conservative
than formerly of her valuable hard
woods"
Forests of the noblest trees that ever
"shook their green leaves in the
breeze " have been laid low in this
state by the ruthless or needy axeman.
Their massive trunks, piled in heaps
and surrendered to the flames, as in
Wisconsin and Michigan, were the
funeral pyres of the states later well
fare Their ashes, sold at the village
"pot-ash," eked out, generation ago,
the scanty supply of the farmers hard
cash. Timber lands that would be a
princely fortune to-day were remorse-
lessly converted into a few paltry dol
lars worth of alkali Forest trees fell
in indiscriminate slaughter for their
ashes merely. When "cord wood :"
for domestic use and the railways be-
gan to be in active demand, and trees
were worth more for that purpose than
for pearl-ash, the destruction of the
remaining forests went on with re-
doubled vigor. Vermont has reason
to-day to deplore the hard fortune, or
the thoughtlessness, which a few de-
/, cades ago was squandering her forest
treasures, and mourns too late the
shortsightedness, improvidence or folly
that was converting magnificent groves
,, of kingly rock naples into ignoble
"stove wood" A temporary financial
advantage may have been gained, OF
relief from present financial embarrass-
ment secured, but the state has re-
' ceived an irreparable injury in many
= ways. We dislike always to present
. . this subject chiefly in its material OF
sordid aspect. 1t is, however, natural
and right for people situated as the
: great mass of Vermont farmers are
that the paying qualities of a conrse OF
action should be first considered. They
have neither time nor money to ex,
= pend on unremunerative, esthetic enter
J. prises. But a distinction, broad and
: marked, should be made between 6
@ temnOrary and permanent ADVANTAGE