The Democratic advocate., 1907-08-02
Timber Famine Coming.

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 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 cubic feet in order to furnish
the products taken out of it. Since 1850
more than 700, 900, 900, 900 feet of timber
have been cut for lumber alone, including
80, 900, 900, 900 feet of coniferous timber
in excess of the total coniferous stumpage
estimate of the census in 1880.
These are some of the remarkable state
ments made in chapter 81 of the Forrest
Service, which deals with the supply of the
United States and reviews the stumpage
estimates made by all the important author
titles. A study of the circular must lead
directly to the conclusion that the rate at
which forest products in the United States
have been aged 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 of every acre of forest in the United
States. The result is timber famine.
This country today is in the same position
with regard to forest resources as was Ger
many $50 years ago. During this period
of $50 years such German States as Sax
ony and Prussia, particularly the latter,
have applied policy of government con-
troll 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 lessons which
Europe has learned and paid for in the
course of 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 increase in popu
lation 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 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 un
doubtedly near their maximum. The
Pacific States will soon take the ascendancy.
The State of Washington within 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 embracep
in national forests The remaining four
ffths 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 $50 years. In
other words, if he is to secure second
crop of trees of the same size, the lumber
man or private forest owner, must wait,
say, at least 100 years for the second crop
to grow. As rule, such long time in
vestments as this waiting would involve do
do not commend themselves to business
men who are accustomed to quick returns.