The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-06-18


it was little over ) 600 600 000 To
the enormous total Of about lS8, OOO,-
600, 900 feet cut in the last thirty
ears. there must be added about
%, 900, 900, 900, or 10 per cent, for
laths, shingles, and minor produce,
making a total of 2l6, 900, 600, 600
Fifty billion feet were cut prior to
1872, which would bring the total
product of the Lake States to about
265, 600, 600, 600 feet. AS the esti-
mate of the original stand amounted
to about $50, 900, 100000 feet, it
would seem that after the cut of 1902 j,
inclusive of growth, there were 85, :
900, 600, 600 feet standing. There is
however, no careful estimate not
more than 35,000,000,0 900 feet Of
merchantable timber, which also in
cludes, undoubtedly, considerable
amount of second growth. Of the
vast discrepancy, only part can be
put down to error, since we know
enough of the fire history of these
states to ascribe the loss of so, 000,-
C00,000 feet to fire. These figures
show that it is a safe and conserva-
tive statement that the end of the
white pine is near, and that ten years
will see it disappear as an important
faction in the lumber trade.
sThe present stand of yellow pine
in the southern states has been
stated by Mr.. R. A. Long in the
paper read before the mountaineering
of the Southern Lumber Manufac-
turers Association, to be about 1877,
900, 100000 feet. About 1853, 000,0 900
900 feet have been numbered already.
For the census year OF 1900 the total
cut.of yellow pine was given as 10,
900, 100000 feet. These figures
show that at the present rate of
consumption the present stand of
longleaf yellow pine will be exhaust
ed long before second crop can be
produced to take it's place.
"Itis not necessary to multiply
instances. It would merely be to
provide you Of facts of which you
have a keen realiz ation already.
The lumber industry ranks forth
among the great industries of the
United States. It has, in my judg-
ment done more to develop this
country. than any other private en-
except the railroads, and
the rapid growth of the latter would
in many cases have been impossible
without the parallel Development of
numbering. But in numbering as in
all other great private industries,
the necessity for care is not seen
until the harm has been done and
until the results Of it have been bit
terly felt. We have reached the
point now when we are often unable
to supply the enormous demand for
lumber which we have fostered.
We must look to the produc-
ton Of q second crop upon numbered
lands or prepare to stop numbering
when the first crop is gone. In
the old days it was easy to lumber
one forest and then turn to another.
To day, however, we cannot count
upon new fields to turn to. We
must make the best Of what we have
and whenever it pays we must lum-
Der conservatively.
practical forestry means conser-
vative numbering The question
whether conservative numbering
pays depends upon whether the
value of the second crop upon lum-
bered land is sufficient to make it
profitable enterprise to foster and
protect it, and in many cases the
time has already come when practi-
cal forestry is good business in
vestment for lumbermen. We haYe
received a good deal of abuse for
what has been called our wanda
lism-abuse which was unreasonab
and which was not accom- panied by
pertinent suggestions for reform,
but now the Bureau of Forestry of
the United States Department Of
Agriculture puts the question of con-
sentative numbering in a way which
makes it worthy the attention of
lumbermen. 1t is the attitude Of this
Bureau, that forestry and lumber
ing are allies not enemies, and that
the interests of one depend directly
upon those of the other. The
Rurnau does not claim that forestry