The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-07-31
FOREST DESTRUCTION.
Nearly Forty Billion Feet Cut in the
United States Last Year-South
Producing HeayiIy-Supplied More
Lumber Than Did West.

w O1S ~ ON0S
ton Of lumber, lath and shingles in
the United States in 1906 was the
largest ever recorded. a census bull
letin recently issued gives 81 IL bill
lion feet as the actual cut of the 21,-
O00 mills which made reports. This
is seven billion feet more than the
cut reported in 1905
These figures at first seem to point
TO a very alarming conclusion-that
the country ha 4 in the last year cut
more than % per cent. more lumber
than in 1905, in the face Of the fast
waning supply. The difference is,
however. chiefly due 20 the fact that
21,000 concerns haze reported their
cuts as against less than $4,000 a
year ago. The gain is the result
of responses from the smaller mills,
made because the rank and file of
the lumbermen now appreciate that
these returns are important to the
trade and that their value depends
upon everybody helping to make
them as complete as possible.
If the returns were complete they
would probably show a cut Of forty
billion feet of lumber alone. The
cut OF lumber forms perhaps 40 per
cent. of the total timber consumption
for all purposes. The figures are
alarming enough taken in connec-
ton with our available supply of
wood. The total amount of mer-
chantable timber in the United
States is believed to be less than
1000 billion feet. # the demand
could be kept stationary, and no
timber were burned up by forest
fires, we should have 20 years from
now only what our forests would
have grown in the market.
Three-fourthss of the population Of
the country is east of the 3Iississippi,
out more than half Of the timber
supply is west of it. The west has in
its forest material to last it for nearly
so years if its per capita consumption
is no greater than that Of the coun-
try at large and if it can hold itself
down to the same annual total. This,
however, takes no account of the de-
mands which developing country
makes. But the east has not enough
saw timber Of it's own to last Is years.
In point of fact the east is already
drawing so heavily upon the north
west for lumber that the railroads
have trouble to handle the traffic.
The position which Douglas fir holds
illustrates the vests rapid progress
toward becoming the principal source
of supply Of saw timber, and the fall
ing off in the production OF eastern
States which forn.ely held first place.
Douglas fir now ranks second only to
yellow pine in total cut, and yield
about one-half as much lumber. New
er before has it outranked white pine,
which for many years stood first and
ater second. Just as white pine naG
20 give way % southern yellow pine.
this in its turn WI be superseded by
Douglas ar, which is also known as
rcd FL ara oregon pine. u IS toand
nowhere east of the Rocky mountains.
and by far the greatest quantity of it
is in Oregon and Washington.
The passing Of the white pine OF the
Lake States is emphasized by the sta
tistics gathered from the census,
which in 1870, 1880 and 1890 showed
Michigan the leading State in total
production OF lumber. In the census
of 1900 Wisconsin had passed to first
place, and Michigan second and Min
nesota third. This relative position
was not changed until 1904, when
Washington appeared at the top Of
the column and Louisiana now takes
second place, while Wisconsin goes
down from second to third and Min
nesota from fourth to seventh. Mis-
sissippi and arkansas have moved up
to fifth and sixth places, while Michi-
gan goes to fourth.
New York. in 1850, led all the States
in the production of lumber. Penn
svlvania rose to first place ten years
later, and New York dropped to sec
ond place In the period following
the civil war the rapid extension Of
railroads brought into market the
great white pine forests Of the Lake
states. and the chief source Of sup
ply moved thither. Michigan first
then Wisconsin went TO the front.
When Washington supplanted the lat
ter the leadership had crossed the
continent In SO years it passed from
the Atlantic 70 Pacific coast State.
The holding of first rank in pro-
duction BY state does not locate the
country's chief source Of supply
Washington now stands first among
the States. yet the south is supplying
more lumber than the west. But the
magnificent yellow pine forests Of the
south are being rapidly cut and mark
eted. lust IS was done with the white
pine forests OF Michigan and Mime
sofa during tie 80 years following
1870. BIT the Pacific coast will soon
be the chief source Of supply
TIE policy of the government IN