River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-11-19

of the practically limit1ess extension OF
the already varied uses of timber. Cot
ton it is said on the other side of the
Atlantic, was once called king; but King
Cotton is lesser potentate than King
Timber must soon become
M Melard, inspector of forests IN the
service of the French republic, in his
recent work on "The Insufficiency Of
the Worlds Supply of Timber" says:
There ere but seven countries at
present able to supply large quantities
of timber Five are in Europe, namely,
Austria-Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Fin
land and Russia; two are in North
America, namely, Canada and the United
States.
"It has been shown that the available
surplus of Austria-Hungary, of Russia,
and of the United States is seriously
threatened by the increase of population
and by industrial development, and thai
Of Norway by the abuse of the axe.
There remain only three sources of sup
ply in which confidence can be placed
for yet little time. These are Sweden,
Finland and Canada.
"They are absolutely and hopelessly
insufficient.
eff Sweden, Finland and Canada were
to attempt to supply all the countries
which reach out their hands for timber,
their normal production, and their for
ests too, would be disposed of completely
In very short time, revenue and capital
alike.
"A timber famine is thus within sight. :"
From what has been said it is evident
that the eyes Of the world are turned to
Canada for the great future supply OF
timber, and two questions suggest them
selves: first, what is the extent and
value of her timber; and second, we are
pursuing forest policy that will tend
to maintain this supply in the future?
Regarding the first, it has been esti-
mated that this country has an area OF
266 ,000, 900 acres of timbered land. This
is certainly too low an estimate, If taken
to represent the whole area of land on
which any kind of timber is growing;
but may safely be taken as embracing
the area covered by timber of merchant
able value, including pulp-wood. Put
ting the quantity growing on such land
at 1000 feet board measure per acre, we
have total quantity of 100000, 900
feet now ready for use. Besides this We
have covering this same area an i'm
mense quantity which has not yet at
tanned sufficient size for cutting. This
growth varies in size from the young
seeding just shooting from the ground
up to the young tree of 10 or IL inches
in diameter. Let us consider the value
of this younger growth. In those coun-
tries where a regular system of cutting
has been practiced for number of
years the annual growth increment has
been established with great accuracy,
but to apply their figures to our forests
would undoubtedly be misleading. Three
hundred and fifty feet board measure
has been estimated as the annual growth
in the United States. If we put ours al
say 200 feet to the acre we will
have an annual growth of $4,000 900
feet This, however, would include limbs
and branches and very rough timber
which would not be used in this country
80 per cent, and we have still left
81, 240 ,000,0 900 feet as the yearly product.
At the lowest the stumpage, that is, the
value of such timber standing in the
tree, may be put at present at 81 per
thousand which would give in the first
case a revenue to the state, provided it
were all in the hands Of the crown and
c,,hiaot IN Government d11oc re3nct Of
it is, of $532 900, 900 for the virgin for
ests of to-day, and yearly return for
that of the maturing timber of $37 ,240,-
900. But this represents only what might
at present prices be asked by the gov
eminent as a royalty and forms but a
small part of it's value to the community
as whole. Possessing not only the raw
material but also the motive power
right at hand, Canada should be without
a rival in the manufacture of all ar
ticles in which timber forms the chief
ingredient.
With regard to the second point, the
day has now arrived in Canada when a
broad, comprehensive forest policy is a
necessity, and can only be ignored with
great loss to the country. On account
of so much of the timber being still in
the possession of the crown, this country
is in position, by careful administra-
ton of it's forests, not only to preserve
favorable conditions in the matter of
water supply, but at the same time to
derive a perpetual revenue from this
source in excess of what has ever yet
been realized, and at the same time pro-