The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-09-05

a close search fer the old field pine.
a tree once despised but now bought
UP at prices much higher than those
formerly paid for the magnificent
timber of the virgin forests.
A publication just issued by the de-
partment of agriculture, entitled Ma
tionaY forests and the lumber supply.
defines the important part which the
national forests are destined to pla'y
in the economic development of the
country Abuses have grown up under
the laws which provide for the DISPOSE
ton of public land. notably the segre-
CATION of large holdings of timberland
for speculative purposes. Timber from
the national forests is now purchased
by the thousand board feet, and pay
ment is made upon the actual scale OF
the logs wher. cut. Two dollars and
a half per thousand feet is compare
lively low as present charges go, but
since the cut ranges from 5000 to TO-
600 feet per acre, the government re-
ceives from five to 20 times as mu0m
for the timber as it did under the
timber and stone act.
Public opinion now demands, not
that the government should dispose OF
its remaining timberlands as rapidly
as possible ard leave it to private en-
terprise to exploit the forest hastily,
but that what remains of the national
forests should be more conservatory
used. The government has been forced
into the lumber business solely in or
der that a supply of forest products
may be guaranteed to future genera
tons.
Probably 65 per cent Of the total
stand of merchantable timber within
the forests is located on the PACING
coast, where for long time the er.or-
nous supply of privately owned timber
surrounded the forests as the meat OF
ar. apple surrounds the core. 1t has
been entirely eaten away In many
places. while in others it is locked Up
by spectators. The thing to remem-
Der. then, is that this immense body
Of public timber is there as a great re-
serve against the time when private
timberlands will be depleted, and for
use as a weapon against monopoly.
The first effect Of national forests on
prices. particularly where there is still
a great deal of available timber is to
raise the price of outside stumpage to-
ward It's actual value by withdrawing
the excess supply of low-priced timber
from the market. But later, as the
supply of timber dwindles and values
are forced upward by speculative hold
ings. the effect of the forests will be
to check the advance Of prices.
In the virgin forest, growth is just
about balanced by decay. In the west
ern forests, however, natural deteriora-
ton is greatly augmented by forest
fires. The fires usually do most harm
by damaging merchantable TIMBER,
but, great as this injury is, vastly more
actual loss in forest wealth results
from the yearly burning over of the
grass and underground of the forest.
Ground fires do not consume the large
trees, but they destroy seedlings out
right and injure growing trees so
that they quickly decay. Finally. the
forest floor, composed of mold of
needles, twigs and MOSES, is burned
away.
Far beyond the present influence OF
the national forests upon the lumber
supply will be their importance. in the
future. The United States is now fac
ing shortage in the stock of available
timber. The yield from the national
forests will aid greatly to bridge over
the period in which mature timber Will
be lacking, a period which will last
from the time the old trees are gone
until thelyoung trees are large enough
to take their places.
The definite result. therefore, of the
sale of timber from the forests Will be
to sustain the lumber business, to
maintain a steady range of timber
values and so discourage speculation,
and. far more important still, steadily
to further the uninterrupted develop
ment of the great industries dependent
upon wood.-Farm and Forester.