Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-09-20
LUMBER SUPPLY IS
CAUSING MUCH ALARM
H. \. WINKENWERDER SPEAKS
OF GOVERNMENT WORK.
Connected With Forestry Service
at Washington. D. C.-Inter-
viewed BY Leader on Conditions
Supply East Of Mississippi
viii Soon Be Exhausted.
CFrom Sundays DaiIy.)

II. a. NllkSnW9EuSJy VINO mas DS6n
IN the city for couple of days visit
ing his parents, left yesterday for
Washington, D. c., where he HOLDS
a position in the forestry department
of the government service. The gen
tleman was sent to Northern Illinois
on government business ana being so
near home and those near to him,
he took advantage of the opportuni "
and came home to enjoy brief visit
Being posted upon the subject OF for
estry, the Leader reporter asked Mr.. !
Winkenwerder regarding the timber
supply at the present time. to which
he replied:
There are few problems Of more
serious importance before the people !
today than that of cur timber supply. |
According to the best estimates Of
lumbermen and foresters, the timber
east OF the Mississippi river cannot
last over fifteen years longer. The
value of timber has more than doub ed
during the last six Cr eight years.
People often cmplain that lumber pri-
ces have gone up faster than the cir
cumstances warranted, yet these prI-
ces have not advanced as rapidly as
those of standing timber"
To further illustrate the great scar
city Of timber, he added Industries
dependent upon our hardwoods are be
coming anxious about the future sup
! ply. Furniture manufacturers and
the makers of lead pencils are offer
ing to replace old walnut and red &C.
dar fence rails with new wire ones.
Vehicle manufacturers are buying
single hickory trees, and cask and bar
rel makers are buying up all the white
oak they can conveniently get. Some
of the larger railway companies are
going into the business Of growing
timber for their own cross ties. These
industries have investigated the con-
ditions and know that something must
be done if they are to remain in bus
mess.
In response to a request for infor-
nation as to the amount of govern
ment lands, the gentleman said:
'FThe United States government
now has 1856, 0O0 acres of timber land
National forests. But since they
all located in the western states, and
since practically no hardwoods grow
there 1t leaves our country without
provision for a future supply of hard
woods Every citizen ought to in
terested IN the proposed Appalachian
National Forest and urge upon his
representative in congress the need OF
such provision Not only will for
est in that region help to prevent a
timber famine but it will do much
toward controlling the floods of the
Ohio and Mississippi river.
in speaking Uf the future and the
result, Mr.. Winkenwerder added:
"Many farmers throughout the
country are planting trees. There
is much soil that is better suited to
growing timber than agricultural
crops and nearly every farmer has
little out of the way places where it
does not pay him to raise garden or
field crops, or there are perhaps hill
sides that are being badly washed by
the rains. Such places are we'll adap-
ted to growing trees and bring nice
proht from land which Is taxed but
while it is idle brings no returns
Land which has been considered worth
less is being made to yield from a
few cents to as high as SIG 90 to the
acre.
'The Forest service at Washington
D. c., will be glad to advise any
body with regard to problems concern
ed with planting and raising timber
rearing for the farm woods. Many
farmers do not know that such advice
r L