New-York tribune., 1903-01-25
TIMBER IN MINE.
An 4Abundant Supply, Says Forestry
Commissioner.


Crono. State Forestry Commissioner OF Maine VINO
has made a careful investigation into the timber
resources this State, estimates that there Is no"
standing Sn Maine than twenty-one pliiIVh
feet of spruce enough. at a moderate IaVe
Of cutting TO keep the lumber and pulp mills sup
piled for an indefinite period while there are also
Immense qua ntities Of other kinds of timber IN
his investigation OF the subject Commissioner fihs
has had the assistance OF scientific foresters expert
scalers and explorers. and his estimates are re-
eerded as entirely trustworthy, he being prac
ticai lumberrnan of many years experience ai1
no; likely 10 fall into the TO which most stat
isfjcians a re liable. He says:
..-be results Of my explorations satisfactory
and show that there are standing IN 'he ioies'9
oF Maine al this time q 29 100000 feet OF spruce
besides large quantities Of pine. cedar. hemock'
ronlar and various species Of hard wood FROM
deductions mace by Ralph s. Hosner helo as
Sistanf Of the United States Bureau OF Forests'
Who has been making experiments in this Sta'e oe
lest summer il is learned that the annual Stow"
< sufficient TO warrant the cutting or e5i'Vcoov
feet of spruce timber in Maine each year without
depicting The supply
II i clearly anparent therefore, that the foreslS
of the state are amply able by careful outtlhS' -
meet the needs and requirements Of the pup anu
sr mills for an indefinite period unless deVasla1-
ing fires and ruinous wind storms occur 10 cause
DAMAGE and injury to the timber now stanolhg anu
tr process Of growth. From my knowledge OF lhe
conditions existing in the timber producing regions
=, many men versed in woodcraft whose services
have been able to command, am saoisneu ''"N
the slIuply Of available material 10 carry on oui
,,-eser1 min and lumber manufacturing establish
-7en-s and such others may he bulIt Is sulCieh'
ard annie and 7 firmly believe that thefe Is no
.,,,re7iate danger Of q timber famine in the state
rroviding the necessary precautions against WASTE
f,1 cutting and fires are carefuIiY ooseI Gu
The State Of Maine is large in area ooh'atid,s M
:, na SQUARE miles of territory. OF this area zlVvo
so,,ara miles is forest land. There are s.4i'oo9
errae> taxed bv the Board Of State Assessors as
wholly wild land, but this does not lneluoe li ol
-re lumber producing land Of the stare u ui0
,,le,+s-iors taxed as Incorporated towns at least
,re-r7alf the area IS wild land; and, in aooluon'
,,.re are in nearly every Incorporated township
from few hundred TO several thousand acres OF
timber land which. in the aggregate aoos ma
+e-iauv TO our lumber producing territory
.rr is also true that in addition TO the land IN
the old incorporated towns that is actually TIMBER
5,i-, al 1l7e present time there are large areas
once used for agricultural purposes that nave Deeh
allowed to 80 back TO woodlands IN many III
stances the second growth IS small and OF NIUE
or no value FOR manufacturing purposes at present
nut each wear = certain percentage becomes avail
able and in the course of series Of years large
amount of lumber viii be supplied from this source
There is as large a territory Of this character
IA furnish future supply as is likely 10 De de-
yorested meanwhile. There is little chance. now
ever that any considerable portion Of our Wild
lands will ever become deforested unless as a re
suit Of large forest fires. because comparatively
little Of il is suitable for agricultural purposes.
Very little land is being stripped 10 such an extent
rha. il viii not furnish another crop OF lumber
fo- the lndersized trees of the present stand in
comparatively few years
Actual deforestation, except from forest fres as
have stated. can take place to any co1lsld-
erab1e extent in Maine. the agricultural lands
sre largely occupied. On the other hand, there Is
1feI1 "a he 2 constant increase in lumber pro-
lucing area. on account Of there beng so Htue
profit in cultivating dry. stony ground for farm
cro0s and moro less of such lands IS reVerting
10 forest growth each season On the whole, IL Is
safe TO reckon that there will be from n'V"eo 10
u aGAGo0 acres of land in this State that VIII De
lumber producing for all time
Nearly all of the lumber Of Maine which has
been used in the manufacture Of pulp and paper
has been taken from the drainage or the Anofos-
.,eggin Kennebec and Penobscot rivers. Jhe pro-
portion has been 4 per cent from the Androscog-
gin 50 per cent from the Kennebec and . per cent
from the Penobscot- Practically, there has been
taken from the St John drainage or from
the southeastern portion of the State. in Washing,
Ton and Hancock Counties, both being large wild
IN he Kennebec region large quantities of pop
nf raIser are found Sapng pine. and even pine of
old growth may still be found in many parts OF
Maine and form considerable factor in estimates
of the value OF the States timber resources. Up
ward Of % 100000 feet Of white bircn timber are
taken annually from the Maine woods the area
Of this growth being in a wide belt extending
across the state. No estimate has ever been made
of the quantity OF this wood now standlns' @ nuL
II Is known to be sufficient TO supply Tor a long
.oerIod an the hard wood mills running in the
state This timber is largely used IN the manu-
Tact1Irp of wood novelties, but by far the greater
norton Of the annual cut is made into spoos ne
factories Of the State produce about S0OVl'v0o
<oools annually valued at more than 81 09l0e0
Commissioner Ring estimates the timber area OF
she JOhn River system. So-calied- Wllcn Grains
a-oostook County and other parts OF Northern
Maine al 400 square miles and the timber stalld
inc there AT 942 (9de0 feet of spruce, 42iUN UVo
Feet of nine $50 O60GO feet OF CEDAR exclusive
Of about 2O0GOOOoO feet of spruce ana pine ocSteh
on The headTaters Of the Allegash River. which
viii be turned into the east branch OF the FenoDscoC
nv means OF overland log carrier now IN opera
zion between Chamberlain and Eagle lahes
The Penobscot region comprises 500 square mlles
f +arTitory being the largest river district located
entirely within the State The standing unpeF or
he Penobscof is estimated at 5.l56 G9.cD Ieet OF
rce s2 On 600 feet of cedar and l530e000 feet or
nine The Kennebec area is 10000 acres Sla uS 'T
steDding timber aggregates 3S63,UeyV Ieet OF aI
kinds On the AndroScogEln RlEer IN MANS IL SIe
eadwaters being in mr. 1ie stnIiug IA t
smaller river systems there are stanolns not less
shan 1000 10000 feet of spruce