Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-29
TWO MORE ALARMS.
THE FORESTRY MOVEMENT
Last OF Series of Lectures at the
Science Hall.

Science Hall.
The very successful series of lectures on
forestry at the William Science hail by
Clifton u. Howe of the University of Chi
cafo was brought TO a close Friday afr
ternoun. The last was a stcreopticon
illustrated lecture, the subject being
"'rhc Fosestry Movement in the United
States"
The speaker traced the history OF the
forestry movement from the earliest set
tiers to the present time. The sentiment
for forest protection was well pronounced
among the earliest settlers. Massachu-
sets and New Jersey very early had laws
to this effect In 1910 the inhabitants of
Exeter, ~ H.. regulated cutting of oak
then a valuable export product. William
Penn in 1867 made ii a condition that of
all land acquired of him one acre of for
est should be left for every five acres
cleared.
This attitude towards the forests was
due To tine fact that tho settlers came from
n country where wood was scarce, whe re
the penalties for its destruction were Sc
we're and severely enforced. The contin-
ucd battle against the forests soon chang
ed this attitude. Then followed IL period
of forest destruction. a reaction came,
however. about the close of the 18th CEN
fury when certain agricultural societies
took action to promote the growth of the
[
offered prizes for successful forest plan
to tionS.
with the rapid development of the coun-
try and the opening up of the Erie canal.
appre honsions regarding the forests seem
ed to have vanished. From 1870 to 1850 the
population more than quadruplcd ana the
settlers seemed to take pleasure in de-
stroying the forests.
After the Civil War the railroad build
ing and the opening up of the West devel-
op"d the enormous numbering business rs
We know ii to-day. Some figures may give
us an ld"a OF the enormous growth Of the
humber business. In 1870 the lumber pro-
d'ct per mill was $500; in 1870 $1,000. and
IN 1850. $1,000 That is the product ro.
mill nearly trebled in 90 years although
there were 1900 less mills in 1890
IN his recent book. Or. Fernow. the head
OF the Cornell College of Forestry. saws:
l'esides the concentration of the lumber
business into large establishments which
these hgurcs show there are other inter-
cS'lr" changes indicated in the census
HSureS. which have q bearing upon the
noc0 OF a forest policy ana the cause for
its del olopmCnt. Whiln in $50 the ,f,i-
clchcN OF the single mill establishments
rad increased to three times what il WAS
in $50 and to nearly fifty times that of
lNW. tie total product had also increased
IN the last ~ wears nearly three times, hut
i-
"uStrN had increased four and half
tlmoS; ana while capital became less of-
icl"nt with concentration, the unit pro-
dlct OF labor also became less efficient I'm
spite OF the Improvement OF machinery,
every dollar of capital producing less re-
suit by over ~ per cent. in 1870. in the
value of tho product. and every dollar of
wages producing less result by over /.
per cent. but the cost of raw material had
increased over IL per cent. All these are
signs pointing to the deterioration and
exhaustion of supplies at least IN the
principal producing regions"
In 1Sej New York furnished moro lum-
per than any other State bur it now
stands Eth in the list In 1865 Michigan
was first and it is now second with over
three billion feet. Wisconsin is now the
largest producer, although its 20 mills at
Fan Claire. 70 mills at Marathon. its y
mills at Fond du Lac. which in 1879 clt
millions of feet arc now gone. Later
began the development of the lumber
business in the Southern States. They
now produce as much If not more than
the Northern States.
NO wonder that people who Wondered
upon this rapid depletion of our forest
supplies, the incredible wastfuncss. and
the additional destruction by fire. with
no provision for tho second crop the flu
ture supply, no wonder that they again
sounded the alarm for forest protection
and better numbering methods
I'm l''S the national bureau of forestry
offered practical assistance to private
owners in handling their forest lands
issued as circular No. p. This circular
outlines the terms on which farmers lum-
bermen and others may Cooperate with
the bureau in handling their forest lands
Cooperation ON these terms was under
taken i'm order to create practical cX-
amplcS of conservative management OF