Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-11-06

ticularly California, where the stare mas
purchased and set apart a large tract IN
the northern part CT the state; Pennsyi-
vania, where, in addition to setting apart 3
state reservation, the owners OIL forest
land containing not less than fifty trees TO
an acre, each OF these trees to measure not
less than eight inches In diameter six feet
from the ground, shall receive annually
from their county commissioners during
the period the trees are maintained IN
good condition, a sum not to exceed 10
cents per acre; New York, where the re-
servation plan is being tried on a large
scale, and In New Hampshire where, he
said, "vigorous policy undoubtedly
Will be inaugurated 10 the near future"
NAMES FOREST LAND.
Maine has, in round numbers, about
81 500 square miles of surface. The area
OF lakes, ponds and river surfaces Is about
5000 square miles. There are In farms
5000 square miles. That would leave In
the wilderness state, 10 800 square miles.
IL is estimated that 2,400 square miles In
cIuded In the farm lands consist OF woods.
Add that to the part remaining In the
wilderness state and we have q eco miles
OF woods or forest land in Maine, terri
tory equal In extent to the combined areas
of Massac husetts, New Hampshire and
Connecticut. We see by these figures that,
notwithstanding the fearful inroads made
in our forest by fire and the lumberman's
axe, Maine Is still we'll wooded state.
It must not be understood, however,
that the whole wooded ares consists OF
timber lands. 1t is doubtful whether one
half of 1t may be so considered. The
wooded areas include anything covered
by trees, no matter II those trees are
utterly worthless for commercial pur-
poses. Fifty years ago the State owned a
large portion Of the wild lands. 1t is use
less to recall here the reckless and short
sighted policy pursued by the State in
parting with its lands, much Of which
was sold for IL cents per acre, notwith-
standing the fact that 1t was covered with
valuable timber.
From the earliest days, Maine has been a
numbering State. The average lumber
cut on the Penohscot river for every year
during the past atty years in round num-
bers is more than 1000, 600 feet, board
measure, or more than 800, 900 900 during
the half century. These are enormous
figures. and they represent continual
drawing on our lumber resources without
any particular regard to the future. 1t
requires from $50 to 200 years for spruce
tree to grow from the small plant to the
tree OF fifteen inches breast high. 1t is
perhaps true that an area OF spruce tim
Der can be numbered over the second time
after an interval of fifteen or twenty
years, provided the first cut was not very
close and no trees less than ten or twelve
inches in diameter were taken. A con-
sentative estimate OF the growth per acre
on forest areas not under forestry regula-
tions Is fifty feet board measure. On the
10, 4i0, 600 acres of forest land In our State,
the annual growth would be 672, 600, 900
feet board measure.
IL we assume that SOC, 000, 600 feet of the
growth belongs TO our spruce timber, we
shall just about equal the average cut of
spruce annually for the last five years. In
other words, we have reached the danger
line in the cut OF spruce timber in this
State. In regard to pine timber, the dam
ger line has long oeen passed, the interest
long since ceased to supply the demand,
and to-day the principal is nearly ex-
hausted. Already we can begin to see the
end of our white birch supply, unless far
different methods of cutting are adopted.
1t Is estimated that from 100000 to
40, 600 900 feet OF white birch are cut each
year in Maine, and hitherto not much re-
gard has been had to reserving the small
trees. Anything that could be sawed into
a spool has been taken.
DEMAND OF THE PULP MILLS.
When pulp and paper first began to be
manufactured from wood, poplar only
was used. Popular is ast-growing
wood, and there are ample supplies OF it
in Maine to-day. But spruce is now the
favorite pulp wood, and the demand for
spruce to supply the great pulp and pa
Der plants of the country is sonnet hing
enormous. Maine to-day stands second
only to New York in this country in the
manufacture OF pulp and paper. We
have in Maine to-day thirty pulp mills
and tweDty-eight paper mills, and there
is besides one monster pulp and paper
plant in process of erection at Rumford
Falls. The total amount of capital in
vested in the pulp and paper manufacture
in Maine is $50 ,00O, 900. The total value of
the annual product is s1S,000,0O0. The
amount paid in wages is more than 5000,
600. and the sum paid for wood annually
is over e 800, goo. 1t requires at present
over $50, 100000 feet OF spruce lumber an
nuslly to supply these pulp and paper
mills.
The amount of timber of all kinds re-
quired by the saw mills amounts TO
$50, 000, 900 feet more, and the question
whet her our forests can continue to stand
this constant annual drain is one OF the
most serious questions confronting the
people OF Maine to-day. II our forests
were managed as the Black forest and