The Washington times., 1903-01-03

Than 100, 100000 acres which may be con
sidered as reasonably possible of settle
ment. it can be but very short time at
the present rate of segregation before
this has disappeared. and the area which
Congress proposed to improve for the
homebuiIders viii have been included
within the boundaries of great pastures
producing not a thOusandth part of their
possible annual contributions to the
wealth and prosperity of the country.
Prof. Bernard f, Fernow, of Cornell
University. director of the New York
State College Of Forestry, discussed the
outlook of the timber supply in the
United States
Contrary to expectations" he said,
the wood consumption Of the leading
industrial nations has, in spite of sub
stitutions. constantly increased during
the last forty years, and that greatly in
excess of the increase in population. as
a result of greater Industrial activity
and higher civilization The increase in
per capita consumption in Great Britain
is by ) per cent annually in the average;
for Germany and France. 10 per cent,
and for the United States the apparent
increase indicated by census statistics
is above this last figure. The total
wood consumption for the United States
Is placed at %. 600 .OOO coo cubic feet. of
which over 100000, OO0 is log size ma
teriaI. the important part needed for the
Industries,
Exhaustion Certain.
"A probability calculation of the pres
ent stand of virgin timber in the United
States ready to supply the demand for
lumber. although admittedly on slender
basis. brings out the improbabiIity, if
not impossibiHty. of meeting the in
cTeasing demand for another thirty
years under present methods of utiliza-
ton. Even if the entire forest area OF
500, 00O, 600 acres were supposed still fully
stocked with the average stand per acre.
as reported by the census in the hold
ings OF lumbermen-an absurd PROPOSE
tion-the stock on hand would be ex-
hausted within that period.
The possibilities OF securing the re-
quirements from the reproduction IN the
natural forest are discussed on the ba-
sis of European experiences and with
proper reference 30 the damaging forest
fires It is shown that even under good
forestry practice the present increas-
ing demand could from the present
area be supplied only for a limited time.
Hence the efforts TO secure such forest
management and greater economy in the
use of timber are not too early. but
rather too late, and the dalIyfng with
the problem by the Legislature is fatal"
Economic Education.
Prof. Willet NJ. Hays, instructor in
agriculture in the University OF Minnego-
ia. discussed the question Of economic
education of farmers. saying:
The States are gaining charge more
and more Of education BY unifying the
primary and graded schools. the city high
schools and the universities and col
Ieges into an articulated system educa-
ton has been greatly promoted. But the
current in this system is away from the
farm, and parallel system is suggested
in which the student must go against the
current to leave the farm. The suggest
ed system includes the consolidated rural
school, with free transportation Of pupils.
serving an area three TO five miles
square; the agricultural high school,
serving the entire State. The CONSOLE
dated rural school supplies superior pri-
mary educators; could include some
studies of rural industries, and a small
demonstration farm and garden could be
added to the equipment BY extending
the course in the consolidated rural
school to include the freshman and soph-
omore high school studies the pupils are
longer under the parental roof. and the
expense Of nonresident study in the ag-
Ticultural high school is reduced TO the
junior and senior years, which study NAV
be made largely technical. The civic and
economic as well as the educational value
Of such a system is urged"