Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-21
Genrgia Zinc Lnnds.


Georgia Pine Lands.
Having read an article in the Macon
Telegraph and Messenger, prepared from
| data given by Mr.. A. G. Butts. of Macon,
which l deem injurious to the interests OF
the pine section of our State, and, believ-
ing that a correction of the erroneous
statements will be, not only for MIR. Butts
interest, but that of the lumbermen and
owners OF pine land generally, submit
the following: He states that one-half Of
the pine timber in Georgia has been cut
or boxed, and that there is now only 10
! years supply of timber. 1t is natural, OF
| course, for purchasers 80 20 TO the section
/ where an article wanted ia most abun-
| dant to make purchases. There is now
an inquiry from the North and Northwest
| by lumbermen for large bodies Of pine
lands for investment for future use; but
| II they see the article published, stating
that one-half OF the timber has already
! been cut, and that there is only 10 years
! supply left, they will naturally say there
| Is no Use looking for Georgia Handsome
haiti OF the pine lands are cut, and there Is
| only 10 years supply, which is not worth
looking after. Will go where timber
lands are more abundant AID, conse-
! quenty, cheaper.
/
that his statement is correct, and that its
| publication is beneficial, but differ with
| MIN rs To both, and dislike to see so I'M
| portant source of the States wealth
Whitfield down to so insignificant point.
Mr.. Butts error-in parts in making
the C0mptrOllers report Of improved
! lands the basis of his calculations, and
| the ComptrOllers error is In supposng
! the tax digest correct in this particular.
! have spent the last 10 years in the pine
| belt OF Georgia, looking after large landed
| interests OF others, and have been in al
most every section OF 1t, and have for the
same time had occasion to examine the
| tax digests and pay taxes In these coun-
lies, and know how correctly returns are
made and entered. To illustrate: l will
| state that there are two digests, ''wild
| land" and ''improved land digest"
known as "big digest" The intention is
that only wild, or unimproved lands,
| should be entered in the fret, and that
they should all be entered there, while
in MANY counties only the lands of nom
residents are entered In IL. | have made
returns OF thousands of acres Thy maiD
Of wild lands, and afterward found them
entered on the improved land digest; and
the custom is: If A owns 490acre lot,
and has field of or 10 acres on II, or
| partly on two lots. say $50 acres, the
whole is returned as improved lands, and
goes into Mr. Butts estimate as denuded
OF timber when there il 4S0 or $40 acres Of
virgin forest. To prove this fact: Take
the ComptrOller's report of Appllng
| county, whence he makes the improved
lands $4,000 acres. The census OF 1880
gives Appling white population Of 4, 100.
| The negroes seldom own farms.) Allow
| lQ-populaton TO q farm II % acres, which
Is an over, or, at least. atull estimate, and
it gives 40 farms Of % acres, 10, $50 acres,
VIII oh shows AN over estimate of 3l4, $40
acres Of improved land.
Take Clinch, reported as 301 1877 acres
improved. Population, whites 1900, at 10
to farm of 20 acres, and we have $50 farms
| OF 20 acres, or 6,600 acres OF improved
| land, showing an Overestlrnate Of 295, 1877
acres OF improved land. All OF the coun-
| ties named in the Comptroller's state
ment. except a few Sea Island counties,
will show about prOportionate overesti-
mate OF improved land. / have not the
| statistics at hand to prove my assertion,
hut will venture 10 assert that the most
| populous county In the State has not
300. 600 acres of improved land, which re-
port ascribes to one OF the most sparsely
populated counties.
The statement that one-half of the pine
landsi In Georgia are either cut or boxed, |
think, Is incorrect. AS for boxed lands,
they are seldom found at a greater dis
when there are hundreds Of thousands OF
acres Of virgin forest that are from u TO
20 miles from railroad. Then there are
a great many lands along the railroads
which are not boxed, and as for the space.
| refer 10 the map published in 1881, by
the Interior Department of the United
States of the "FOrestry of the United
States" l was employed to give the data
upon which the calculations were
made, and, with some eight
years Of observation in these forests,
and having visited nearly every sec
ton Of the territory, / gave them, as my
judgment dictated, correctly. You will
observe that the cut portions OF GeOrgia's
pine belt appear but Al a speck upon the
map. At the time that gave this data
there were sections that / had no accu-
rate information OF, which | afterward
Obtained, and, from rnisconstructiOn of
instructions, 1 now believe that the esti-
mate Of standing timber should have
been %. coo, 600, 900 feet. The exports and
consumption IN and from the pine belt,
proper, was 273,000,000 feet, showing on
that basis supply OF so years. Add to
this one-tenth for growth Of timber which
will in that time be large enough for use,
and we have a supply for SO years. De-
duct One-third for Increased consumption.
% years. which leaves a supply for 80
years. There should be n deduction for
destruction by uses for turpentine, but
there are so many CONTINGENCIES that il is
impossible 10 estimate this damage.
II the timber is cut Tor mill purposes
soon after the working for turpentlne
ceases. the loss ia comparatively small.
but il Increases each year afterward, and
much depends upon the season Of the
year and condition OF the woods when 10
first burns, after being boxed (the custom
OF the country being To burn the woods
every spring.. l think, however, that |
am on the safe side when ! reduce the |
supply down 10 80 years.
/ synpathise with Mr.. Butts fully In his |
efforts 10 save the timber from ruthless |
destruction, knowing of sections where |
the turpentine AK has DESTROYED in two /
or three years forests which. IL cut for /
mill purposes. would have grown again, |
and would have been support for the |
owners for generations 10 come; but once |
boxed, and II IL struggles and lives. 10 does |
not again grow perceptihy; but AS this is |
free and democratic government, man |
has a right to use his own NJ be wishes, |
50 il il not tO the injury Of others, and, |
therefore. 1 see no means Of legally inter |
fering with the destruction OF the pine |
forests, unless the "Raiiroad Commission /
will kindly undertake it in their leisure
hours. PINE.
Hunting i'm the Mountains.