The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-05-09
THE TIMBER SUPPLY.
Three Times as huch Timber Used
Each Year as the Forest Grows,


Every person in the United States is
using over six times as much wood as
he would use if ne were in Europe.
The country as whole consumes 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
store of only 10 cubic feet annually,
whereas it ought to be laying up at
least 80 scubic feet in order to furnish
the products taken out of it. Since
1880 more than 100000, 900, 900 feet of
timber have been cut out for lumber
alone, including $4,000, 900, 600 feet of
timber in excess of the total coniferous
stumpage estimate of the Census in
1880.
These are some of the remarkable
statements made in Circular 81 of the
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 directly
to the conclusion and the rate at which
forest products in the United States
have been and are being consumed is
far too lavish, and that only one result
can follow unless steps are promptly
taken to prevent waste in use and to in
crease the growth rate of every acre of
forest in the United States. This re-
suit is timber famine. This country
IS to-day in the same position with re-
gard to forest resources as was Ger
many $50 years ago. During this per-
iod of $50 years such German States as
Saxony and ard Prussia, particularly
the latter, have applied a policy of
government control and regulation
which has immensely increased the pro-
ductivity of their forests. 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 prac-
tice.
Lest it might be assumed that the
RAPID and gaining depletion of American
forest resources is sufficiently accounted
for by the increase of population, it is
pointed out in the circular that the in
crease in population since 1880 is barely
more than half the increase in lumber
cut in the same period. Two areas
supplying timber have already reached
and passed their maximum production
the Northeastern States in 1870 and
the Lake States in 1890. To-day the
Southern States, which cut yellow pine
amounting to one-third the total annual
lumber cut of the country, are undoubt-
eddy near their maximum. The P cifc
States will soon take the ascendency.
The State of Washington within few
years has come to the front and now
ranks first of all individual States in
volume of cut. Atpresent but one-fifth
of the total forest area of the United
States is embraced in Forests. The
remaining four-ff his have already pass
ed or are most likely to pass into priv
ate 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 secr~e a second crop Of trees of
the same size, the Zimmerman years for
the second crop to grow AS a rule,
such longtime inves' ments as this
waiting would involve do not commend
themselves to bu, ness n en- who are
accustomed to quick returns. States
aud the Nation can look much farther
ahead. The larger, then, the area of
National and State control over wood
lands, the greater is the likelihood that
the forests of the country will be kept
permanently productive.
6SSSssSSSsSSs. 90. .y.y,y.y.,.y.y. .,.y.