Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-05-01
THE TIMBER SUPPLY.
Reforestins Necessary to Con-
tinuins the Timber Supply
OF the United States.

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 a 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 mp store of only 10 cubic
feet annually, whereas it ought to be lay
ing up at least 80 cubic feet in order 10
furnish the products taken out of it.
Since 1850 more than 700, 900, ,ooo, 600 feet
of timber have been cut for lumber alone
including 10000. 900, 900 feet Of confer
Gus timber in excess of the total confer
Gus 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 TIM
Der supply of the United States and re-
views the stnmpage estimates made by all
the important authorities. A study of
the circular must lead directly to the con-
clusion that the rate at which forest pro-
ducts 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 resnlt is a timber famine. This
country is today in the same position with
regard 10 forest resources as was Germany
$50 years ago. During this period of so
years such German states as Saxony and
Prussia, particularly the latter, have APP
piled policy of government control and
regulation which has immensely increased
the productivity Of their forests. The
same policy will achieve even better re-
suits 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 American forest
resources IS sufficiently accounted for by
the increase Of population, il is pointed
ont in the circular that the increase in
population since $50 is barely more than
half the increase in lumber CT. in the
same period. Two areas supplying TIM
Der have already reached and passed
their maximum production-the North
eastern states in 1870 and the Lake states
in 1890. Today the Southern states,
which cut yellow pine amounting 10 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 WASH
ington within few years has come to
the front and now ranks first OF all indi-
vidual states in volume of cut.
At present but one-ffth of the total
forest area of the United States is en-
braced in national forests. The remain
ing four-ffths have already passed or are
most likely to pass into private hands.
The average age of the trees felled for
lnmber this year is not less than $50
years In other words, if he is to secure
a 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 a
rule, such longtime investments as this
waiting would involve do not commend
themselves to business men who are &C.
customed 10 quick returns. But the
states and the nation can look much far.
ther ahead. The larger, then, the area
( national and state control over wood
lands, the greater is the likelihood that
the forests Of the country viii be kept
permanently productive.