Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-12
Forestry.


are as follows:
Forestry.
The following interesting paper by
Mr.. Fernon was read:
"Your Secretary has called fol
short papers; but your worthy Presi
bent has prepared such a long It'll,
and 30 broad a subject for me that
have found it difficult to be brief, ant
yet even tolerably exhaustive.
70 attempt to compress the subjec
into small space has necessitated tina
should forego many valuable argu
ments, and has obliged me to state
simply, in terse sentences and dog
matte form, the basis of forest legisla
tion.
Before we discuss particular legisla
tion, we must agree first that legisla.
tion, National or State, is not dc
signed to adjust merely matters of to.
day, but must often work with an eye
to the future. Secondly, that legisla'
tion is necessary whenever opposing
private interests are not strong en-.
ough to so mutually balance each
other as to produce natural adjust
ment--that is to say, whenever the
interests of the few lead to detriment,
material or otherwis., for the many
for the community at large in the
present or the future.
And we must also ascertain whether
g.. kok .,,to
particular case has arrived-that is,
whether rhe selfish greediness which
characteristics the majority OF single
individuals in their economic relations
has gone so far as to make defense OF
the communal interests a neces sity.
Forest Legislation naturally has re-
ference, either to the forest areas,
which we find ready for use, pro-
duct of nature, like mines and agri.
cultural fertility, or to such forest
areas as we may artificially produce.
AS simple sources of natural wealth,
the forests, it is asserted, can claim
no more-although certainly as much
recognition by legislation than, for
instance, can the mines. Indeed
forests might we'll be compared to
mines, were it not that the forest re-
sources are more limited, aid there
fore must become exhausted within a
com mparatively short period in the ex-
istence of the nation, and that they
are capable of reproduction by human
effort. The forestry interests may
perhaps be best compared to the fish
cry interests of country, both being
gifts of pature liable to be exhausted
by the wasteful use of man.
Considering the material aspect OF
this source of wealth, at a roug gh esti-
mate, the position of forest resources
of this country at present is about as
follows. The annual consumption of
wood products must be considerably
above 20 1000 900 900 cubic feet, while
the area from which this drawn is
less than 500, 1000, 900 acres; and ow-
ing to the lack of attention to the
matter of reproduction, and the
ravages Of fire and cattle everywhere
prevailing, the annual growth can be
hardly half our annual production.
This last conclusion we reach by COM
pairing our forest conditions with
those OF a country like Germany.
which, with careful management and
and favorable conditions for wood
growth in all parts, produces, on an
average, not more than fifty cubic
feet per acre per year.
The financial aspect of this source
of wealth may be stated thus: The
present annual market value of forest
products at primary points OF produc-
ton exceeds thousand million dol.
lars, viz: in round figures, not less
than $500, ,000,0 for saw lumber,
800, ZOO, 900 for railroad construction
$4,000, 600 for fence material. Small
wood consuming manufacturers de-
mand a raw product of $40, 900, ,000
fuel consumers 5000, ZOO, 900, and ma
val stores over $5,000,000. The ex
ports of wood and wood manufactures
have lately ranged from $50, ,OO0, 900 to
$40, 1000, 900; the imports from $12,-
100000 to SIG, 100000
1t appears that there is no produc,
in the country which compares in
magnitude Of annual value to that Of
the forest. For, ii compared with ag.
ricultural products, OF which one OF
two seem equal to or exceed the wood
production, it must not be overlooked
that, in making up the value of forest
products, no cost of production is
charged; only cost of harvesting OF
preparing for marktt the raw material
and, to some extent, soil rent. If we
had to add the cost of producing the
lumber by artificial forestry, as We
shall have in time, the values o.
agriculture and forest products would
be more nearly comparab e. Com
pared with the values of mineral pro-
duction, although the present years
output is enormous, yet the forest pro-
ducts yield from 211a to 81 times as
great value.
If we inquire into the condition OF
forest areas and into the methods by
which the products are obtained, we
find that there is but a comparatively
small part remaining which has not
been cut over; that in the eastern,
northern and central portions of the
country the most valuable timber has
been removed; that almost nowhere
is any regard paid to keeping fire out
of old or new growths; that the
young natural growth is mostly in
ferior in value, on account of neglect
that on large areas no repro
duction of any great value takes
place; that on account of ignor
ance as to the qualities and adapta.
tions Of various timbers, but still more
on account of enormous competition
speculation and other avoidable Oh
unavoidable causes, a frightful waste
nj raw mate ial is going on, SO mucl
NC that it would not be an over-state
ment to say that, under present con
ditions, at least twice as many tree
are cut as would suffice for the sam
wood production.
Thus we see that merely as an i'm
portant factor of national wealth
which is being Immediately consumed
the question Of lumber and wood sur
ply should attract the interest and pot
sibly call for the activity of communi
n ksas = rSd 1toto 80 oo 4<. {vsu,1v,, a vr<nvsv1