The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-11-23
TIMBER FAMINE COMMA
Statistics sho" We Use More rh,,
Three Times Annual Growth

Every person III the United St,..,
is using over aiN times as much woo,
as he would Us" il he We're in Eurona
ne country as a whole consumes
every year between three and f0r,
times more wood than all of tho "a.
ests of til United States grow in :,
meantime. The average acre Of e.,
est lays up Il store of only fen cr,;.
feet annually. whereas it ought n b,
laying up at least thirty cubic feet !,
order 10 furnish the products taksr
out OF it. Since 1880 more than 7Oo
600 100000 feet Of timber have hoa,
cut for lumber alone, including SOM.
600 600 feet of Comferous timber !,
excess of the total coniferous stumn
age estimate of the census in 1880
These are some of the rmarkah]a
statements made in Circular 81 OF ths
Forest Service. which deals with the
timber supply of the United States
and reviews the stumpage estimates
made by all the important authorities
A study of the circular must lead Al.
rectly to the conclusion that the rate
at which forest products in the United
States have been and are being con.
sumed is far too lavish, and that ony
one result can follow unless steps are
promptly taken to prevent waste in|
use and to increase the growth rate Of
every acre of forest in the United
States. This result is a timber H.
mine This country is today in ths|
same position with regard to forest
resources as was Germany $50 years.
ago. During this period of $50 years.
such German States as Saxony and|
Prussia. particularly the latter, have|
applied policy Of Government conf
troll and regulation which has im}
mensely increased the productivity O,
their forests. The same policy vi,
achieve even better results in th4
United States. because We have th1
advantage of all the lessons which
Europe has learned and paid for u
| the course of a century Of theory an4
practice.
Lest it might be assumed that tnq
rapid and gaining depletion OF Amer
lean forest resources is sufflcienu|
accounted for by the increase OF pop
u!ation, it is pointed out in the ofj
cular that the increase in populatlo1,
since 1880 is barely more than ball
the increase in lumber cut in M1
same period Two areas supp!m9
timber have already reached a01
passed their maximum production
the Northeastern States in lS'V A9
the Lake States in 1890. Today u
Southern States. which cut yelo1
pine amounting to one-third the 'o0
annual lumber cut of the country 1|
undoubtedly near their maximum ~
Pacific States will soon take the
cendancy. The State OF Wasn'ns"
within a few years has come 70 u
front and now ranks first OF all U
diyidual States in volume OF cut
At present but one.fifth OF the w
forest area Of the United STATES
embraced in national foress. Ine
naming four-fifths have a'feAu|
passed, or are most likely ~ r..
into private hands. The average 81
of the trees felled for lumOer ~
vear is not less than 190 Year,
other words, If he is to secure 'e 4
crop of trees of the same SIZE
]umberman or private forest o
must wait. say. at least one nulu
wears for the second crop 10 s'o"
q rule such longtime investments
this waiting would involve az
commend themselves TO business
! who are accustomed to que" '
New York Press.