The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-12
TO PRESERVE THE RED CEDAR
Forestry Experts study the Problem OF
Keeping Up the supply.

The Division Of Forestry in the National
Department Of Agriculture issued a bulle-
tin recently on the matter Of the repro
duction and maintenance Of the red cedar
in this country. The lghtness. s~oftness
and even grain OF this wood have made It
a much sought after OF forest products.
Its most general use is in the manufact-
ure Of lead pencils. Then II has a place in
small cooperage. such as the manufacture
Of tubs, buckets and churns. A larger
use is for furniture and bodybuilding.
Still larger is the use OF it in telephone
and telegraph poles, piles for building
structures over water, and railroad ties.
II has also an extensive place in shipbuild-
ing, and in the cigar trade for boxes. The
wood takes a high polish and its resistance
to decay makes 1t especially valuable.
The red cedar Of the South Atlantic States
Ia the most desirable commercially OF all
the varieties. The stock Is becoming so
depleted that factories where it is being
worked up are being moved constantly.
No statistics nave been secured to show
the extent of this depletion, but one firm
that makes lead pencils told the Agricult-
ural Department recently that the product
OF at least 1875 600 red cedar trees, involving
more than 500. 600 cubic feet Of that wood.
are used every year in this country for lead
pencils. The firm also said that $1,000
cubic feet OF were exported annually.
Falkville, Ala, has been a leading ship
ping place for cedar telegraph poles. The
Western Union Telegraph Company has
used Il a. a base Of supplies for the South
ern States for nearly eighteen years. 1t
has sent from there on an average Of 49,
900 poles of red cedar every year.
In 1890 this company sent out 800 car
loads Of sixty-fve poles each from Falk-
Vile. Some Of the trees cut down were 100
years old. The cedar Is now nearly gone
and long hauls are necessary TO get 1t ready
for shipment.
In every state Of the South there comes
a story OF the curtailment OF the cedar
product and the removal Of mills engaged
In using II In manufactures The price
Formerly IL could be found anywhere in
Florida Now II is found In abundance
only on the western coast. In great tracts
Of Tennessee the virgin growth OF the cedar
has disappeared with that OF black walnut,
In Texas IL II extinct practically In the
Brazos and Colorado rivers valleys
There IL hardly another trhe that shows
a greater Indifference TO soil and climate
than the red cedar. IL grows BEST In the
Southern States where there II a marked
deposit ~ lime In the Soil.
is scattered irregulsrly through the
Maritime Pins Belt. which CROSSES Ala
hama With a width 81 about thirty-hNo
miles Il terminates slowly, but II grows
quite rapidly after being started The
tres. ks.ps on growing Tor fully 100 years
and often reaches "A height Of eighty feet
The trunks sometimes are twenty-five Inches
la diameter
Tho FORESTRY Division hnds that the red
cedar r.produocs itself freely, especially
heoAuE. ~ IT, power 10 endur" shade u
recommends protection from hre aud Nv"
stork and q slight mobilization - iunutsr
Ing methods IN barren hats aud dry
lins u recommends tlhi dense undsfxrOsth
a. q lATKe numbsf - seed tre~s u lot
standing
Tho dlVision rrpaHr that ths ~attruIt 10
establish a fnnrsi ~ pure o.dsT ln hernahS
Lao pfoYed a sur0ssu tbs tr-.s were
planted in the seventies AID Afu no~ thufy
add promising
ITO 10 -proluas - ths o.dAI anr ~ lsfso
value Ito wasis q tho saSrt Nued is
made iuio shaving hkr "loTlsluf snd 10
u.-d in plaa. a canpiuf a. Ifuisff suullrn
souis sHd fuH Tho saris 10 ala ned
Inta paIuf Zoe puitlns undsf nsusis lhs
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ussd in drugs