The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-06-19
OUR DISAPPEARING TIMBER.
Three Times as Much 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 he were in Europe.
| The country, as whole, consumes
every year between three and four
times more wood than all of the for
ests of the United States grow in the
mean time. The average acre of for
est lays up a store of only ten cubic
feet annually, whereas it ought to be
| laying up at least thirty cubic feet
in order to furnish theproducts taken
out Of it. Since 1880 more than
700, 100000 feet of timber have
been cut for lumber alone, including
so, 0,000,O00,000 feet of coniferous
| timber in excess of the total confer
Gus stumpage estimate of the census
of 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 authori-
ties. A study of the circular must
| lead directly to the conclusion that
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 increase the
growth rate of every acre of forest
in the United States. This result is
timber famine. This country is
to-day in the same position with re-
gard to forest resources as was Ger
many one hundred and fifty years
ago. During this period of one hun
| dred and fifty years such German
States as Saxony and Prussia, partic-
ularly the latter, have applied a policy
of Government control and regulation
which has immensely increased the
productivity of their forests. The
| same policy will achieve even better
results in the United States, because
we have the advantage of all the les
sons Europe has learned and paid
for in the course of century of the
ory and practice.
Lest it might be assumed that the
| rapid and gaining depletion of Amer
| lean forest resources is sufficiently
accounted for by the increase of pop.
ulation, it is pointed out in the circu.
lar that the increase in population
since 1880 Is barely more than hall
the increase in lumber cut in the
same period. Two areas supplying
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 undoubtedly near their maximum.
The Pacific States will soon take the
ascendency. The State of Washing.
ton, 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
total forest area of the United States
is embraced in National forests. The
remaining 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 one hundred
and fifty years. In other words, if he
is to secure second crop of trees
of the same size, the lumberman or
private forest owner must wait, say
at least one hundred years for the
second crop to grow. AS rule, such
long time investments as this wait.
ing would involve do not commend
themselves to business men who are
accustomed to quick returns. But
the States and the Nation can look
much further ahead. The larger.
then, the area of National and State
control over woodlands, the greater
is the likelihood that the forests OF
the country will be kept permanently
productive.