Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-10-18
Threatened Shottag, Of Timber.



which has resulted in fabulous rates
for even the refuse or by-product.
attention to the results of the rcpa
city of man in securing control of
Natures universal products. The
woodman here is now cutting the
second growth. small trees scarcely Il
foot in diameter. to supply the de
mand for tircwood. which but hastcnS
in geometric progression the time
when our forests will be dcnuded of
its forest growth. So far as the area
that is held under national forest ad
ministration, it has proven success.
1t appears. however, that outside Of
these holdings. the condition else
where is pretty much as it is here.
where operators either close it to use
for Indefinite periods. or demand eX-
cesSive rates for Stumpagc. After
the trees have been removed, regard
less of size, large tracts of land are
sold for grazing, and it has been
found that rcSinouS trees are fast dis
appearing and some varieties, the
ash, the poplar and the chestnut have
nearly disappeared. Gaul, once thu
home of great forests of oak, now
seek that valuable wood from other
countries. Although the experience
of our nation is very small compared
with that of France, some species of
wood once common, now are nearly
extinct. or command fabulous prices,
for their rarity more than their excel
lence. Black walnut is almost I'M
known, when half century ago it
was used for fence rails and tirewOod.
Hickory and oak are now classed
as valuable woods. the white pine
forests once extending in sections
from Maine to Washington, and the
head of the Mississippi to the gulf, are
now gone or in the hands of the Wey-
erhausers. Spruce, hemlock and yell
low poplar are becoming rare, and
cedar, the ideal wood for many uses,
and the redwood of California, are
becoming yearly more scarce, and fir
has taken its place in many plans for
inside finish and doors.
The area of forest growth in France
owed by the government is one
eighth of the whole, or about 2,707,-
600 acres. In this country the gov
eminent is administering less than
one-fourth of it, or 158, 900, 600 acres.
Some 500, 600, 900 are privately owned,
and a considerable portion of that
unappropriatcd, which is classified as
forest, has but little understandable
timber, having been cut off or burned
by the devastating forest fires which
annually decimate our timber hold
ings.
France of late years has had to i'm
port largely pine wood from Norway,
Sweden, Russia, Austria and Rou-
mania. The $14, 100000, annually
paid, is said to not represent half
the cost of this importation. France
is fortunate in finding countries still
able to supply the demand, but
will not these conditions in the course
of time, exhaust this supply? In a
few years, or generations at most, it
is very probable that the timber sup
ply will be reduced to just what each
country is able to produce, from year
to year, for it is destroying the pro-
duct as well as its means of restOra-
ton.
The effort to preserve this heritage
for future generations as we'll as to
provide an adequate supply for pres
ent necessities, did not come too
soon, and should meet with hearty
encouragement; or better still people
should formulate q sentiment Strong
enough to promote and sustain the
efforts being made by the govern
ment to disceoevr and punish frauds
that have placed SO much OF the timber
lands in the possession of those COR
morants who are none the less grasp
ing in their extortions by placing
a corner on a natural product than
John D. Rockefeller.
France has been for many years
engaged in protection of her forest
and as trees are of slow growth it is
well that this government has taken
up the matter of providing for future
contingencies. 1t has the aid of Rus
STA and Canada who stand ahead of
us in relative size of forest area de-
voted to the philanthropic object
that has been persistently ignored
by the present generation of provid-
ing for the well-being of those I'M
born.
The planting OF Atlantic oysters