The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-07-05
TIMBER FAMINE COMING.


is using over six times as much wood
as he would use if he were in Europe.
The country as whole consumes
every year between three and four
times more wood than all the forests
of the United S ates grow in the
meantime. The average acre of for
est lays up a store of on y 10 cubic
feet annually, whereas it ought to be
laying up at least 80 cubic feet in or
der to furnish the products taken out
of it. Since 1880 more than 700 900,
100000 feet of timber have been cut
for lumber alone, including $4,000,
100000 feet of coniferous timber
in excess of the total coniferous
stumpage estimate of the census in
1880.
These are some of the remarkable
statements made in Circular 81 of the
Forest .rvice, which deals with the
timber supply of the United Safes
and reviews the stumpage estimates
made by all the important authorities.
A study of the circular must lead dir
ectly to the conclusion that the rate
at which forest products in the United
States have been and are being con-
sumed 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. Tue result is tim Der famine.
This country today is in the same pc.
sition with regard to forest resources
as was Germany $50 years ago. Dur
ing this period of $50 years such Ger
man States as S,xony and Prussia
particularly the latter, have applied a
policy Of government conti oil and reg
ulatlon which has immensely increas
ed the productivity of their forests.
The same policy will achieve even bet
ter results in the United States, be-
cause we have the advantage of all
the lessons which Europe has learned
and paid for in tue course of a century
of theory and practice.
Lest it might be assumed that the
rapid and gaining depletion of Amer,
lean forest resources is sufficiently &C
counted for by the increase of popula-
ton, it is pointed out in the circular
that the increase in population since
1880 is barely more than half tue in
crease in lumber cut in the same per.
iod Two areas supplying timber
have already reached and passed their
maximum productioD-tbe northeast
ern States in 1870 and the Lake
States in 1890. Today the Southern
States, which cut yellow pine amount
ing to one-third the total annual lum.
Der cut of the country, are undoubt-
eddy near their maximum. The Pac-
lfir States will soon take the ascend
ancy. The State of Was hington with
in few years has come to the front
and now ranks first of all individual
States in volume of cut.
Al present but one-fifth OF the total
forest area of the United States is EN-
braced in national forests. The re-
naming four-ffths have already pass
ed, or are most likely to pass, into
private hands. The average age Of
the trees feiled for lumber this year is
not less than $50 years. In other
words, if be 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. A a rule, such
long time investments as this waiting
would involve do not commend them
selves TO business men who are accus-
toned to quick returns.
Kansas school teachers will be