The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-11-18
DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS
GOVERNMENT PREDICTS A WOOD
FAMINE IN TWENTY YEARS.

N'"'hS e"l''"olo ana interesting lnfOr-
nation on the Subject. White
Pine Most Valuable of All.
The government forester, MIR. Pin
chot, predicts a wood famine twenty
years from now. He says that prac-
tically all the mature timber in the
United States, outside of the forest
reserve, will have been used up
The famine, however, is already
beginning. Hickory, which is used
by carriage builders and makers of
tools and implements, is so scarce
that it is hard to get at any price.
The precious red cedar, too, which
is used largely in the manufacture
OF lead pencils and cigar boxes, is be-
coming so scarce that farmers are
actually digging up their cedar posts
and selling them at a high price.
The most valuable of all woods for
general purposes is white pine. For
merly it was the most abundant of
all our woods, but it is now not far
from being used up, and the final
Wiping otu of this kind of timber in
Michigan may be said to mark the
lending of one of our greatest indus
tries.
This disappearance of the white
pine has compelled the use, as a sub
stitute, Of yellow pine. In like man
Nor fhn Drapjor1c op1 bOoufiF,,I
oak now nearly gone has been re-
placed by red oak and black oak
which formerly were deemed almost
valueless.
Other kinds of trees which in ear
lier days were not regarded as fit for
lumber, such as the cotton wood and
red gum, are at the present time cut
in enormous quantities to satisfy the
market demand.
In spite of the vast damage done
to the greatest of our national re-
sources we still have in the United
States enough timber land to meet
the Country's requirements for all
time to come if it shall be properly
handled. Such, at all events, is the
opinion of the forest service. But
proper handling implies the exercise
of the same intelligence and care in
behalf of the forests as are used for
the agricultural crops. The forests
must be treated as cultivated areas,
the lumber annually drawn from
them not exceeding what natural
growth will replace.
The Southern Appalachians still
contain the greatest stores of hard
woods in the world, covering an area
of over 100000 acres. 1t is of
the utmost Importance that they be
preserved, and, with this end in
view, congress has directed the sec
Rotary of agriculture to investigate
the subject and formulate recommen-
dations.
In the west vast tracts of public
lands have been set apart as forest
reserves by mere proclamation, but
in the Southern Appalachians the
timbered region is owned by private
parties, and cannot be cOnfscated by
the government; the only way would
be to obtain possession of it by pur-
chase.
Reckoning the value at only $500
per acre the expenditure required for
the purpose would be in the neigh
bOrhood of $3.50, 100000. Hence it
is likely that congress will decide to
buy only certain important tracts.
such as may appear to be especially
desirable, not only for timber, but
also for conserving the flow of
streams for water power and naviga-
ton; that is to say, streams which
rise in the Appalachians, and whose
flow would become unreliable if the
forest cover were removed from the
mountains.
The first government reservation
was made in Cleveland's administra-
| ton, and many additions have been
made since then. but extensive as
they are they afford an inadequate
provision for the future
War has been waged in congress
against the setting aside of these re-
! serves, but the fight has been carried
on by those representatives who are
either engaged or have some interest
! in the timber business All farmers
| interested in this matter are urged
to communicate by letter with their
! senator or representative requesting
| these men to make a hard fight for
| forest protection.