Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-01-09
Sanefits that Might Be Derived from In
PRODUCING Trials of Skill at Agri-
cultural Fairs.
Timber for the Future.

u eopiulOn tDat tne forests OF the UnltcO
States, notwithstand ne tho great and
increasing drains upon them, are capa-
bic Of yielding for many years longer .
larger amount OF material than has yet
been drawn from them, even with our
present reckless methods of forest man
sgement. 1t is true that the great pine
forest of the north has already suffered
fatal inroads; that the pine that once
covered New England and New York
has d sappeared, and that Pennsylvania
is nearly stripped of what once appeared
10 DO nearly ineXhaustible supply of the
same wood. But the great northwest
ern pineries are not yet exhausted. and.
with the ewly-introduced methods by
which logs once supposed inaccessible
are now protitaDIy brought to the mills,
they may be expected to increase the
volume of their annual product for n
few years longer in response to the
growing demands of the great agricul-
tural population which is fast covering
the treeless midcontineutal plateau.
The area of the pine forests, how
ever, remaining in the great pine-pro-
ducing states OF Michigan, Wisconsin,
and Minnesota is dangerously small in
proportion to the country's consump-
lion OF white pine lumber, and the en-
tire exhaustion of these forests in n
comparatively short time is certain.
The wide area now covered in New
England by second growth of white
pine, although insignificant in growth
and productiveness in comparison with
the forests that it replaces, must not be
overlooked in considering the pine sup
ply of the country. These new forests,
which are already yielding between
200, 000 900 and 800, 600, 600 feet of lum-
Der annually. and capable of great
future development. The pine belt of
tho south Atlantic region still contains
immense quantities OF timber unequal
ed for all purposes of construct on, al
though unsuited to take the place of
the white pine of the north. The
southern pine forests although strip
ped from the banks of the stream flow
ing into the Atlantic, are practically
untouched in the gulf states, especially
in those bordering the Mississippi river.
These forests contain sufficient material
to supply all possible demands that can
be made upon them for Il long time.
The hardwood forests of the Missis-
sippi basin are still, in certain regions
at least, important, although the best
walnut. ash, cherry, and yellow poplar
nave been largely culled. Two great
Dodies of hardwood timber, however,
remain, and upon these comparatively
slight inroads have been made as yet.
The most important of these forests
covers the region occupied by the south
ern Allegheny mountain system, en-
bracing southwestern Virginia, West
Virginia, western North and South
Corolina, and eastern Kentucky and
Tennessee. Here oak unequaled in
quality abounds, walnut is still not
rare, although not found in any very
large continuous bodies, and cherry,
yellow poplar, and other woods of com
mercial importance are common. The
second great body of hardwood, large
~ oak, is found west of the Mississippi
river, extending from central NJ sSouri
to western Louisiana. The forests of
Michigan, especially those of the north
ern peninsula, still abound in consider
able bodies OF hardwood, principally
maple. Throughout the remainder Of
the Atlantic region the hardwood for
ests, although often covering cons der
able areas, have everywhere lost their
best timber, and are either entirely in
sufficient to supply the local demand
of the present population, or must soon
become SO.
In the Pacific region. the great for
ests of fir which extend along the coast
region of Washington territory and
Oregon are still practically intact
Fire and the ak have scarcely made
perceptible impression upon this mag
nificent accumulation of timber.
Great forests of pine still cover the
California Sierras through nearly their
entire extent. The redwood forest Of
the coast, however, once, all things
considered, the most important and
valuable body OF timber in the United
States, has already suffered seriously,
and many of its best and most access
ible trees have been removed. This
forest still contains large amount of
timber, although its extent and pro-
| ductive capacity have been generally
exaggerated. The demand for redwood,
the only real substitute for white pine
produced in the forests of tho United
States, is rapidly increasing and, even
at the present rate of consumption, the
commercial Importance of this forest
must soon disappear.
The pine forests that cover the west
ern slopes of the nothern Rocky noun
tains and those occupying the high pla-
teau and inaccessible mountain RACES
Of Arizona and southwestern Now Mex
leo have not yet suffered serious dam.
ago. The remaining forests of the
Pacific region. OF little beyond LEGAL
Importance, are fast disappearing. The
area of these inter or forests is d III H.
ished every year by fire and by the
demands OF u careless and Indifferent
population, and their complete exter-
mination is probably inevitable. The
forest wealth of the country is still I'M
doubtedly enormous. Great as it is,
however, it is not ineXhaustible, and
the forests of the United States. in
spite of the fact that the climatic con-
ditions of large portion of the country
are peculiarly favorable to the develop
ment of forest growth, can not always
continue productive if the simplest laws
of nature covering their growth are
totally disregarded.
The judiciOus cutting Of forest in @
climate like that of the Atlantic or Pacific
coast regions entails no serious or per.
manent loss, A crop ready for the har.
vest Is gathered for the benefit of the
community; trees that have reached
their prime are cut instead of being al
lowed to perish naturally, and others
take their place, The perma
nence of the forests in regions bet.
ter suited for the growth of trees thar
for the general agriculture may thus
be insured, Two causes, however, arr
| constantly at work destroying the per
manence of the forests of the country
and threatening their total extermina
ton as sources Of national prosperity
fire and browsing animals inflict great
or permanent injury upon the forest
of the country than the AK, recklessl,
and wastefully as it is generally use(
against them.
Exhibitions OF skill at Fairs,
That our agricultural fairs have DO
come very monotonous, not only il