The Portland daily press., 1895-03-29
gor. was unable to be present to deliver
his paper on the forests of Maine, SO
HON CHARLES r. OAK


HON. CHARLES E. OAK,
State Land. Agent, was called on sto ill
his place. Mr.Oak called attention to a
few Of the problems relatingito our for
ests. First, we should take an account
of stock. There is said to be no spruce
west of New York. 1t would be well
then to ascertain how much spruce there
is to supply future demand, and what
are likely. to be the demands upon the
spruce forests of Maine. In the virgin
forest where no cutting is being done,
the decay of old trees erbalances
the growth of new. But timber trees
growing in open land increase fast, but
Mr.. Oak knows of no man who has meas
ured the rate of this growth. We ought
to know the average yearly growth of
our various kind of trees. This would
be valuable as basis for taxation, etc.
Also, at what age of trees is the percent
age of growth largest? This percentage
seems to vary greatly. Therefore, we
should ascertain at what ages it pays
best to cut or to leave to grow. The
use of small lumber by the pulp bust
ness renders the solution of this problem
of Importance; because it might be bet
ter to keep growing trees that now are
cut. We should consider farmer igno-
rant or foolish who should harvest bis
crops before they are ripe. Do not many
lumbermen do similar. thing?
Mr.. Oak then quoted an example of
growth observed by well known Boston
lum bermsn.
In 1877 there was spruce in a Nova
Scotia forest that measured eight inches
aud had grown one-quartef of an inch a
year. In 1894 this spruce was cut and
measured sixteen inches at the stump.
If cut in 1877 it would have furnished a
log twelve feet long, scaling eighteen
superficial feet. But when it was cut in
1894 it yielded two logs, scaling ninety
one and fifty superficial feet eacn, gain
of. IL superficial feet in seventeen years,
an annual increase OF forty one per cent.
This tree was in Nova Scotia where they
grow with exceptional rapidity; but it
is probably wiser to leave the five, six or
cOfCh IuOa SpluCSo1 tudu w sCuU tuoHl III
to pulp wood. Mr.. Oak went on to say
that the gathering of the forestry pro-
duct Of Maine was done in way which
did not compare favorably with Europe
an forestry, from the standpoint of the
amount of product secured. It takes
more than million acres now to supply
the demand for spruce, and that demand
is increasing.
r.Oak's paper was received with very
cordial applause.
Hon. William Rogers of Bath, after
paying deserved compliment to ..Mr.
Oaks paper, said he had long studied
trees and their growth. We were destroy
ing oul forests as rapidly as posi- BILE, and
he believed that the legislature should
meet oftener than it does in order that
such subjects as these might be consid-
cred. Our fores SITS are being devastated
numerically. The younger growth of
pine is being cut up as fast as it gets
large enough, to be made into boxes.
George F. Talbot, ESQ.,, was next
called upon as one especially interested
in forestry. He said that he wanted
the Board of Trade to invite the Natur-
al Forestry Association to meet some
where in Maine. 1t meets twice year.
It's largest meeting is in August.
Springfield. Mass, will entertain the AS.
ISOLATION this year; but the officials
thought they might have an excursion
to Maine forests. Mr.. Talbot wrote them
IL = !, e. ~,
to Maine for the session OF 1896. Moth
ing would arouse in this state such
healthful interest in forestry. No ex-
pense would be involved in entertaining
the mem bers, whose number is not
large. Portland City hall would afford
ample accommodations for the meeting
Passing to another subject. Mr.. Talbot
said he had learned that in the clearing
of the Aroostook lands, hard woods were
junked up and burned. Such woods
would make excellent furniture for our
summer hotels, and he would advocate
the establishing of furniture factories in
Aroostook to use this lumber.
In conclusion Mr.. Talbot said that the
first settlers came to Maine on account
of the woods, and the people would not
stay here after the forests were gone.
Mr.. l. K. Stetson of Bangor, spoke
briefly OF the..importancel the question
to Bangor.
The
BJECT OF INSURANCE
next came up, and Mr.. Prentiss Loring of
this city, presented the following inter-
esting and valuable paper:
Mr.. President:
The topic assigned ME is of such i'm
portanee in it's relations to economic
and commercial problems, and so extend
ed in it's bearings, that it will be possible
to touch only upon few principal points
in the limited time allowed for it's dis
cussion.
Fire, under control, is most efficient
and helpful servant; but when not in
subsection, is a rapacious, annihilating
force, carrying destruction, loss, con.
fusion and distress in its wild course.
How to control this element, and prevent
Ghe exercise of it's dennoralizino dawes