The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-05-03
PLANTING TREES.

trees on the government reserve south
| of Valentine is in line with the gov
ernments policy just now to increase
the timber production of the country
in order to supply a demand that is
rapidly growing and which has, for
some years, been the cause of an al
together too lavish use of the timber
that this country has been producing.
According to circular just issued
| by the government relating to forest
service, every person in the United
States is using over six times as much
wood as he would use if he were in
Europe. The country as whole con-
sumes every year between three and
four times more wood than all of the
forests of the United States grow in
the meantime. The average acre of
forest lays up a store of only 10 cubic
| feet annually, whereas it ought to be
laying up at least 80 cubic feet in
order to furnish the products taken
out of it. Since 1880 more than 700,-
600, 100000 feet of timber have been
cut for lumber alone, including So
600, 100000 feet of coniferous timber
in excess of the total coniferous stump
age estimate of the census in 1880.
The circular says that the rate at
which forest products in the United
States have been and are being con-
sumed is far too lavish and that only
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 fam
inc This country is today in the
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 control
and regulation which has immensely
increased the productivity of their for
ests. The same policy will achieve
even better results in the United
States, because we have the advantage
of all the lessons which Europe has
learned and paid for in the course of
a century of theory and practice.
Lest it might be assumed that the
rapid and gaining depletion of Amer
lean forest resources is sufficiently &C
counted for by the increase of popula-
ton, it is pointed out in the circular
that the increase in population since
1880 is barely more than half the in.
crease in lumber cut in the same pc
riod, Two areas supplying timber
have already reached and passed their
maximum production - the northeast
ern states in 1870 and the lake states
in 1890. Today the southern states
which cut yellow pine amounting tC
one-third the total annual lumber cut
of the country, are undoubtedly neal
their maximum. The Pacific states
state of Washington within a few
years has come to the front and now
ranks first of all individual states in
volume of cut.
At present but one-fifth of the tota
forest area of the United States is
embraced in national forests. The re
naming four-fifths have already passed
or are most likely to pass into private
hands. The average age of the trees
felled for lumber this year is not less
than $50 years. In other words, if he
is to secure second crop of trees o.
the same size, the lumberman or pri
vate forest owner must wait, say, a
least one hundred years for the sec
: ond crop to grow. AS rule, such Ions
time investments as this waiting would
involve do not commend themselve!
!, to business men who are accustomed
v to quick returns. But the states anC
the nation can look much farther
, ahead. The larger, then, the area o
national and state control over wood
( lands, the greater is the likelihood tina
: the forests of the country will be KEEP
!, permanently productive.