The Saint Paul globe., 1898-05-22

showed an area Of two and one-half
million acres in pine and hemlock. The
pine thereon has been estimated at
about seven billion feet This makes
an aggregate of some thirty-flve billion
feet for the these states; now in pros
porous years their~eutput of pine lum-
bei has exceeded eight billion feet.
Since 1873 more than. 155 billion feet of
lumber have come from the Northwest.
The comfort in the inevita BILE, deduc-
t1on is certainly not very tepid. Says
a writer in the Northwestern Lumber
man: Five years of prosperity, with
the enormous demand which will re-
suit, will cause; such a melting away
of the northern forest resources as can
scarcely be realized
A secondary effect will come from
the depletion of the forests Of the lake
region will result in the diminution OF
lumber as a steady west-bound freight
for railroads running to the prairie
states. The treeless regions Of the West
will be forced to look elsewhere for
their lumber, and the next most natural
locality Is the South. Hence, there will
be gain of north bound traffic by the
railroads from the Gulf ports, which
may tend to divert the shipments of
grain.
A word may be said about the ruling
prices Of lumber. They have been
wonderfully equable. White pine at
Saginaw sold at $11.50 per 1000 feet
and at $12.50 in 1887 While the export
price of lumber in 1890 was about that
In both 1855 and 1880. 1t having shot
up rapidly. of course during war times.
CHANGES IN METHODS.
1t cannot be fairly claimed that it
would be profitable for the average
lumberman of the Northwest to make
any radical change in his methods
wasteful though they be- 1t is only
vast interests that can be expected
to make provision for distant prosper
ity. The average lumberman only
thinks of getting what there is off the
land; since IT takes at least 100 years
to produce afgood sized saw-log, some
one else can figure as to whether the
second production is practicable Then
there is the danger from fire and wind,
which is also deterrent. The loss by
fire per year, is only about 8 per cent;
but the consequent evil is far greater,
as will be seen when 1t is recalled that
a forest-f1re will eat down to the nak-
ed rock, and that it Is calculated that
it takes from three to five centuries
for nature te:sbufd up a foot of humus
soil
Of course, when the supply becomes
so greatly reduced as to-be apparent
to ALL when Sthe#smal lumbermen are
unable to get more territory, and have
depleted what they hold, then 1T is pos
sible that remaining lumber lands may
come into the hands of few strong
men, who will avail themselves Of the
experiences Of the world in forest-cul-
ture.
At present, the state can do much,
and already is doing something. Min
nesota has probably the best forestry
law in this country, and both in Micht-
gan and Wisconsin the subject of for
est preserve has received recent in
telligent legislation. Some times 1t is
wise to lock the stable door after the
horse has escaped, for the sake of the
force of habit that it engenders.
There is other valuable wood in the
Northwest, though none that can COM
pare with pine in adaptability. Black
birch Is plentifully found in the upper
lake region, and it is becoming very
popular for the manufacture of furni-
ture Oak, too, Is abundant; and there
are vast resources Of hemlock. Indus
tries, dependent an wood, can be prof
tably fostered. With new methods,
lands that are now deemed worthless
may be utilized, and timber, which has
teen disregarded, turned into mate
rial. There Is no reason why manu-
facture should not regain some of the
waste The aisesi of wood-pulp, for in
stance, are daily becoming enlarged.
Nature has been so generous that the
tendency Is to dfsdain whatever is not
luxuriant But there sis little doubt
that when the time does come, which
certainly seems near, when the North
west must lose the pre-eminence which
it has held invthe lumber trade. it may
still find wealthj1 If not So easily, yet
perhaps more permanently, in it's wood
products. -Condit Crane.