The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24
INTERESTS in COMMON
LUMBERMEN DIRECTLY CONCERNED
IN SCIENCE OF FORESTRY.
What the Government Bureau of For
estry Means to Them--working
Plans for Timber Tracts.

and numbering. Mr.. McCormick's views are
especially interesting as expressing the
very cordial and friendly attitude toward
forestry so generally felt by lumbermen.
Every man in the lumber business to-
day whose dealings are OF sufficient extent
to be subject TO influences beyond those of
purely local demand and supply" said Mr..
Mccormick, realizes that the lumber in
dustry is in many regions confronted by
growing scarcity of available timber. Sta
tistics point to it. Estimates of timber
resources still remaining point to it also.
But the strongest proof lies in the condi-
tons which already affect our industry.
1T is just cause for congratulation that
SO far as the actual harvesting of timber
and its manufacture into lumber is con-
cerned American lumbermen are far ahead
of those of any other country in enterprise,
ingenuity and skill in methods and ma
chinery. But. in spite of the money saved
in numbering by better methods. we are
obliged to charge more and more fer our
lumber in order to manufacture it at prof.
1T. In every operation in the woods and in
the mill rigid economy is necessary now
instead of the loose and lavish methods I'M
der which 1t was possible formerly to make
numbering a profitable business. We have
gone so far already that it is probable we
cannot materially lower the cost of manu-
featuring product in the future. Labor
saving devices can never in themselves
prove adequate remedy. The trouble
lies not in the cost of manufacture, but in
the dwindling supplies of the timber itself
CERTAIN TREES DYING OUT.
ut is not necessary to turn to statistics
for proof that the supply of certain kinds
Of valuable timber trees OF the United
States is rapidly falling. of others is prac-
tically gone, and of still others has en-
tirely vanished as a factor in the lumber
market. For example. ten years ago the
use of balsam in the manufacture of
paper pulp was practically unknown.
The Eastern hemlock is now valuable for
its timber as well as for its bark. A more
modern instance is the gradual rise in i'm
portance of the Western hemlock, until
very recently altogether discredited as a
timber tree, although in fact of great COM
mercial Importance. The red fir of the
Northwest and the Southern pines are
rapidly invading markets formerly con-
trolled altogether by the white pine of the
north central States, while species of pc
culiar value, such as black walnut and
black cherry, have practically vanished
from the market in the grades which once
were common. The Southern pines are be-
ing destroyed with rapidity which finds
its parallel only in the case of Northern
white pine. 1t is true that the list of COM
meroial timbers lengthens from year to
year. Just as the balsam is taking the
place of the spruce, so are substitutes COM
ing in for other woods which no longer
exist in sufficient quantity to supply the
demand. But neither can this prove a
sufficient remedy. The supply of the sub
stitutes will be exhausted in it's turn and
the final situation will be worse than that
which confronts us now. 1t is no longer
a question of methods. of manufacture, or
Of substitutes for exhausted supplies. The
time for Us to look after the trees them
selves has in many cases already arrived
Statistics of the merchantable timber
still standing in this country are difficult to
make because the forest area is vast and
for large portions of it we are without
accurate knowledge. But in Mr.. Henry
Gannett's report upon lumber in the twelfth
census of the United States. he has made
good use of the data at hand and presented
facts which are significant, based Upon in
formation sufficient to sustain them. 1
wish to call your attention to a few of
these facts.
WHITE PINE VANISHING.
There is probably no forest in the world
so immense, so accessible, so easy to lum-
Der, and so regular in the high quality of
it's timber as was the great pinery which
occupied the region Of the great lakes and
of the upper Mississippi. THEORISTS of Mich
igan Wisconsin and Minnesota originally
contained stand of about $50 OOO 100000 feet
OF this Michigan had about 10000 900, 900,
Wisconsin 100, 900, 600 900 and Minnesota about
20, 900 100000 feet LAUNDERING began in Mich
igan and Wisconsin during the thirties and
was of small Importance until the early
seventies. Since then the great pinery has
been cut over in a way unprecedented in
numbering. In 1873 the cut was about 4,0O0-
900 feet. 1t reached high-water mark in
1892, when 1t was over S.50000c.0 900 feet.
Since then 1t has steadily fallen until for
1902 it was little ever 5000 900. To the
enormous total of about 1SS.0O0, 600 feet
cut in the last thirty years there must be
added about Is 1000. 100000. or Is per cent, for
laths, shingles and minor produce, making
total of 216.00O 600 900. Fifty billion feet
were probably cut prior to 1s73 which
would bring the total product of the lake
States to about 265, 900, 900 900 feet. AS the
estimate of the original stand amounted to
about $4,000 900 feet. 1t would seem that
after the cut of 1902, exclusive of second
growth. there were $1,000. 100000 feet stand
irg. There are, however, by careful esti-
mate. not more than s. 900 900 feet of
merchantable timber. which also includes,
undoubtedly, a considerable amount of Sec
ond growth. OF the vast discrepancy. only
a part can be put down TO error, since we
know enough of the fire history Of these
States to ascribe the loss of 60, 900 600 900
feet to fire. These figures show that il is a
safe and conservative statement that the
end of the white pine Is near, and that ten
years will see 1t disappear as important
factor in the lumber trade.
1.-The present stand of yellow pine in the
Southern States has been stated by Mr.. r.
A. Long, in a paper read before the annual
meeting OF the Southern Lumber Manufac.
feet About l63. 900 100000 feet have prob
ably been numbered already. For the GEN.
sus year of 1900 the total cut of yellow pine
was given as nearly 10000 100000 feet. These
figures show that at the present rate of
consumption the present stand of IongIeaf
yellow pine will be exhausted long before a
second crop can be produced to take its
place."
LOOKING TO SECOND CROP.