The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-11-14
The Southern Lumber Business,

WASHINGTON, d. C., Nov. II, 1901.
In October, 1898, the U. 5. Department
of Agriculture, through its Division Of
Forestry, first offered to give practical
assistance to farmers, lumbermen and
others, in the handling of their forest
lands. The response to this offer was
immediate, and in three years private
owners of over 1000, 900 acres of wood
land have availed themselves of the OBJ
portunity.
In no part of the country is wider in
terest being shown in conservative for
est management by private owners
than in the Southern States. Up to
date the amount Of private lands in the
south for which advice in handling has
been asked of the Bureau, is 1884, 900
acres, and very large part of the work
which will be done by the Bureau for
private owners in the immediate future
will be in that section.
The industrial development of the
South on all sides during the last ten
wears has been remarkable, but no sin
gle industry has made greater strides
than the lumber business. This is not
surprising when it is considered that
the Southern States contain a greater
percentage of forest area than any
other section of the United States. The
south has become very important fac
tor in the lumber markets of the world,
not only through its wealth of forests,
but from the fact that it has unusually
good transportation facilities. In reach
ing the home markets Southern lumber
men have the advantage of number
of excellent railroad systems to handle
their products, and such important sea-
ports as Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah,
Mobile To Nnu nrloonc an1 Go1
weston, provide excellent outlets through
which to reach the foreign markets.
Within recent years many lumber
men from the North have been attract
I'd to the southern field. The forests of
pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wiscon-
sin having been almost exhausted, many
# the leading woodmen of those States
IRE now engaged in cutting timber in
The South. The forests of the three
states just mentioned were once con-
,idered inexhaustible but when lumber
ug begins in earnest no, forest area is
nexhaustible. The present condition
# the forests in many northern and
EASTERN States is sufficient evidence on
his point.
The South now has a great army of
umbermen cutting away its forests,
and in spite of their great extent, I'M
80 INC NtUuIuS Is uUuC ou CONSERVATIVE
ines, the day is not far distant when
me conditions now existing in the
North and East will be found there also.
For this reason it is encouraging to see
he interest in practical forestry dis
played by the owners of private tim
Ierlands. This tendency to cut timber
-onsevatively, looking to the future
value of the forests as we'll as to present
lofit must be the safeguard. ConSer-
}ative methods are now being taken up
u the North when almost too late. and
It viii be greatly to the credit of south
I'm lumbermen if they begin the pro-
lection of their forests in time: taking
to heart the sad experience Of people in
other sections.
In addition to more than a million
and a half acres of private forest land
IN the South the Bureau of Forestry
las requests for the handling of more
t1an 100000 acres in other sections.
added to this are nearly 80, 900 900 acres
If United States forest reserves and
state lands, for which the Bureau is
asked for technical assistance from
time to time.
Not only have the people throughout
the country shown interest in practical
forestry, but Congress at its last session
50 far recognized the Importance of the
governments work in this line as to
raise the Division of Forestry to the
iank of a Bureau. The annual appro-
pTiatiOn was also increased from SSS, $40
IN 1900 to S1S5, 440 in 1901 Still the de-
mands upon the Bureau continue to
realty outstrip its resources.
The Blue Laws of Connecticut.