The Red Cloud chief., 1901-05-10
THE LUM Der SUPPLY.
There 10 Plenty Of 1t Left In 0nr
Pine Forests.
AI,Ss~sh imports and Corsunptfo~
Nave peep I~scressirs Year After
year There Is No Press.t
Prospect Of Exhaustion.

THE Jumbo trace OF the Ohiteu
States 10 the title OF a monograph just
issued by the treasury bureau OF sta
tistics. Washington. The lumber in
dustry and trade, IL finds, has within
quite recent years changed from n
small scale Of production to one in
which machinery, a large outlay OF
capital and a f~ar-sighted policy of de-
velopment Of properties are becoming
cont rolling factors. This change is due
partly 10 the growth OF domestic de-
mand and partly to the fear OF prema-
turely sxhausting u timber re-
sources.
The existence Of surplus capital look
/ ipx for new fields Of investment has had
Q tendency to eliminate the small scals
lumberm~n and the policy Of European
states in rigidly limiting the annual
cut Of lumber to something like the
rate OF increase In the growth Of for
est, has forced European lumber con-
suming interests TO come to the United
States and Canada, especially for hard
woods and lumber for building pur-
poses. As n result the foreign lumber
trade OF the United States has grown
enormously. Within quite recent years
it has developed from a local to a world
wide commercial movement.
! In the foreign, trade the Atlantic
ports. the gulf ports and those on the
northern Pacific coast have shared
most libcra,ly. More lumber Is now be-
ing shipped from these ports and IRON
the country as a Gho,y than at any pre-
vious time in the history ofthe country.
The total exports of timber, lumber
and manufactured wood for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1900, amounted to
$50. 59l ,90s. showing n balance OF almost
exactly $50. 900 900 of exports of this
class over imports. About half Of these
imports came from Canada, consisting
mainly OF planks, boards, logs and
shingles. Another principal feature in
our timber imports is the tropical tim
Der, including Cuban mahogany and
cedar and mahogany from Central and
South America and Africa.
The wooded area OF the United States,
according to the United States geolog-
ical survey, is l,09I,496 square miles, or
~ per cent. Of the land area. From this
standing supply Of timber it is esti-
mated that from 1,s3O,G0O, 900 900 to
1900 900. 000, 900 OF board measure feet
OF lumber are available. The annual
lumber cut has been estimated for the
year 1899 at 10000 ,000, 900 OF board
measure feet; that is, We cut approx
mately W. per cent. OF our national
timber annually. OF this cut
10000. 600. 900 are credited to the lake
region. 10000, 0OO. 900 to the southern
states, 5000. 900 900 to the northwest
and north Atlantic states, 5000, 900 900
TO the central states. 4.0OO. 900 900 to the
Pacific states and 1000. OOO, 900 to the
mountain states, according to the New
Orleans Lumber Trade journal. These
figures are, however. only an approx
nation on the part of those familiar
with the industry as n whole, yet they
indicate that our timber supply is not
disappearing at an alarming rate. pro-
vided the destructive waste of forest
fires can be prevented.
The timbercd territory Of the coun-
try covers five different sections, from
which commercial distribution is
made. Beginning with New England,
the output Of Maine is still the leading
feature of this section, and the middle
states. from the Adirondacks and
northwestern Pennsylvania, still sup
ply Il considerable market OF more or
less local character. The greatest
areas OF standing timber are found in
the southern states, where the long
leaf and the short ,eaf pine and the
cyprv So are the leading features. In
the lake region Of the northwest, in
GLIDING Michigan, Wisconsin and Min
nssota, we have the largest output
where the white pine and hemlock are
the leading features, The Pacific coast
: section includes the pine and fir for
ests of Washington and Oregon and the
y red wood of California as the leading
kinds Of timber. The Rocky mountain
states are as yet Of subordinate com
mercial Importance compared with The
southern, northwestern and Pacific
Z states.
A comparison OF southern exports o,
timber, lumber and manufacture
thereof with the total from the United
States shows that southern ports fur
nish IS per cent OF the sawed timber
a. exported, ~ per cent. OF the hewi
Sns timber, "a per cent, Of the logs, etc, 8
per cent OF the boards, deals AM
NJ planks, II per cent, of the joints an
scantlings, 81 per cent. of the slaves, 7
per cent. of all other lumber and 10 pc
cent. of the manufactured lumber
remarkable exhibit OF the progres
which southern lumber products hav
. made in our foreign trade.
n The Catsson workers. story.