The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-02-22

NOW THE RICHEST TIMBER RE.
GlON IN THE COUNTRY.

Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan
Once Valuable Lumber States, Are
Practically Denuded-Forces Which
Have Co-operated In Destruction.
The most valuable forests of the
United States are now in the South
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michi
gan. the principal sources of lumber
supply in the past, are practically de
ntided. Reckless numbering, charcoal.
burning, and the manufacture of paper
pulp have co-operated as forces of de
struction, and the result is that a great
numbering industry, which should have
lasted for another century, has scarce
ly outlived the century which witness
ed its beginning. The discreet con
servation of the forests deemed mex
haustible when numbering began, anc
measures for reboising the waste lands
not needed for agricultural purposes
after the lumbermen, the charcoal
burners, and the wood-pulp makers
were through with them, would have
created new values to the extent OF
hundreds of millions of dollars to re
place those destroyed. That this was
not done Is not to be wondered at
perhaps. Civilization swept westward
like prairie fire. To clear land was
first consideration, and labor was
neither cheap enough nor abundant
enough to permit that it be employed
in provision for the future. New com
munities are always reckless in squan
dering natural resources. They seem
so limitless and so much in the way
that it is not to be wondered at that
the effort is rather to waste than tc
conserve them.
Until the timber supply of the West
began to fail that of the South was
neglected. It's vast forest areas had
scarcely known the Aoodman's axe
indeed, they had hardly been explored
Their edges had been eroded, and there
was some numbering along the coast
for shipment to Northern markets
They were, and still are, the great Ma
tional reserve of available timber, and
extensive as are the numbering opera
lions now in progress in the South, the
supply will not fail unless all the les
sons of Western experience are forgot
ten or disregarded.
The movement already begun among
the owners of large Southern timber
tracts to organize their numbering op
erations under the guidance and di
rection of the Bureau of Forestry OF
the Department of Agriculture, is one
which should receive the fullest ap-
probation and encouragement. Indeed.
the State Governments should do what
they can to stimulate progress in that
direction by offering substantial ad
vantages to those who thus conserve
the wealth of the South. Land man
aged under system of forestry which
preserves the young growth, and es
pecially that devoted to tree growing
to restore It's forest character, might
very we'll be exempted from taxation
for term of years. The taxable value
of wood lands in the South is not great
enough to make the revenues from
them matter of concern to State or
local authorities, and those certified
as under direction of the Forestry Blu.
reau might very we'll be thus exempt.
ed. Trees grow slowly, and even a
small tax will often amount to more
than the annual increment of value in
such property. Meanwhile, it is graft.
tying to learn from a recently publish
ed report of the bureau that the South
Is beginning to show an intelligent in
terest in this subject. The owners of
| ,534, 600 acres Of pine and hardwood
ands have applied to the bureau for |
working plans for conservative forest |
exploitation, and It's representatives
Are kept busy giving advice and as
sistance where it is being followed |
There are also some large tracts of
State and Government land which the
bureau has been asked TO look after
and manage. This is as.it should be-
The experience of half a century
should be enough to convince our PEG.
Die that the adjective "inexhaustible"
Is applied to natural resources of any
lind Is misleading and meaningless.
New York Times.