Evening journal., 1907-04-29
LUMBER FAMINE
AT PRESENT RATE

Every person in the United states is
using over six times as much wood as
he would use il he were in Europe.
The country as whole consumes
every year between three and four
times more wood than an Of the for
ests of the United States grow i'm the
meantime. The average acre of forest
lays up a store of only 10 cubic feet
annually, whereas it ought to be lay-
ing uD at least 30 cubic feet IN order
TO furnish tho products taken out of
IT, Since 1850 more than 200. .OOO. 600 600
feet of timber have been cut for mm-
her alone including 10000. 900 600 900
feet of coniferous timber in excess of
the total coniferous stuInpage estimate
of the census in 1850.
These are some of the remarkable
statements made in Circular % of the
Forest Service, at Washington, which
deals with the timber supply of the
United states and reviews the stump
age estimates made by all the import
ant authorities A study of the circu-
lar must lead directly TO the conclu-
sion that the rate at which forest pro-
ducts In the United States have been
and are being consumed is far too Law
ish, and that only one result can in
crease the growth rate of every acre
of forest i'm the United states. This re-
suit is a timber famine This country
is to-day in the same position with
regard TO forest resources as was Ger
many 100 years ago. During this per-
iod of 15O years such German states
as SaNony and Prussia. particularly
the latter. have applied a policy of
government control and regulation
which has immensely increased the
productivity of their forests. The same
policy win achieve even better results
i'm the United Etates, 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 ac-
counted for by the increase of popu-
lation. it is pointed out IN the circular
that the increase i'm population since
1880 is barely more than half the in
crease I'm lumber cut in the same
period. Two areas supplying timber
have already reached and passed their
maximum production the Northeast
ern States i'm 1870 and the Lake states
i'm 1890. Today the Southern States,
which cut yellow pine amounting to
one-third the total annual lumber cut
of the country. are undoubtedly near
their maximum. The Pacific States
viii soon take the asccndoncy. The
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-hfth of the total
forest area of the United States is
embraced i'm National Forests. The
remaining four-nfths have already
passed or are most likely TO pass into
private hands The average age of the
trees fellcd for lumber this year is
not less than 15O years. In Other
words, if he IS to secure second croT
of trees of the same size, the lumber
imam or private forest owner mus
wait. say. at least one hundred years
for the second crop to grow AS a
rule, such longtime Investments as
this waiting would involve do not com
mend themselves to business men who
are accustomed TO quick returns But
the states and the nation can looi
much farther ahead. The larger, then
the area of national and state control
over woodlands. the greater is the
likelihood that the forests Of the coun-
try win be kept permanently produc-
tive.