Evening star., 1901-09-30
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY.
An Object Lesson on the Treatment of
Southern Forests.

Southern Forests.
From the Manufacturer Record.
For several years George w. Wander
bilt, on his estates at Bitmore, N. c., has
been giving to the south and to the rest
of the country a magnificent object lesson
of the value Of scientific handling of for
ests Such an object lesson has been great
ly needed. Much of the advance made by
the south as producer of lumber has
been due to the failure in other parts of
the country to adopt plain. common sense
methods in numbering operations. Inn
mense tracts Of timber land have been de-
nuded by the wholesale, with great waste
Of cut timber. destruction of younger
growth and absolute disregard of the
future. With the transfer Of energies to
the south and acceleration of those
already there, like carelessness and lack
Of foresight have been manifested. The
efforts of the forestry division of the United
States Department of Agriculture, culmi-
mating in the plan for a vast forest res
ervation at the submits of the Appalach-
ians in five or six northern states, and the
work of such progressive men as Mr. Van
derbilt, have done much to fasten attention
upon the necessity for conservative
| handling of the forests still standing in the
south, and a restoration of woodland in
| regions devoted wholly to agriculture or
left to waste after the turpentine workers
One state In the south which has come
to the front as lumber producer seems
destined to become the leader In the adap-
| tation of common sense and science TO
numbering undertakings In connection
| with the organization of the $20o00,O00
| Houston Oil Company, in Texas, the state
ment was made that it had entered into a
contract with the Kirby Lumber Company,
| organized at the same time, for the gale
| and manufacture of the timber standing
on the 100000 acres Of its oil lands. This
| contract involves the cutting of 5000 Oo0-
600 feet Of timber, at the rate of not less
than $50, ,OO0, 600 feet a year. If the mini
| mum only shall be cut nearly twenty-three
years will cover the contract. Under or
| binary conditions 1t might be expected that
| the close of those twenty-three years would
show a vast tract Of waste land at the
| mercy of the elements. The contract between
| the Oil company and the lumber company
| contemplates no such thing 1t looks to the
| exploitation Of the forest and. at the same
| time, to its indefinite preservation, If not
| cultivation. No tree less than one foot
| in diameter Is to be cut, and care is to be
| had that saphngs and other young growth
are to be uninjured. The results of this
undertaking may be easily estimated for
| the particular tract. They mean a source
Of steady wealth. They may be duplicated
| in other parts of the south.
| In spite OF the decrease Of pine in the
rest of the country, there are large
| amounts Of virgin timber Of this kind in
| several states toward which the saw-mfll
and the lumber railroad are advancing. In
| creasing demands for agriculture may re-
quire a permanent clearing Of some Of the
uncut forests, but there are vast tracts
best suited to forest growth, not only as
sources Of lumber supply, but as regulators
Of the flow Of streams important to COM
merce and manufactures and as equabie
modifiers of climate. At the same time the
rise of such industrial centers High
Point, n. c., with woodworking interests,
especially furniture making, their foun-
dation, is increasing the necessity for a
steady supply from the sawmill. For many
reasons therefore, the success Of the Texas
| experiment should lead to similar action
| in other parts of the south.