Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-10-21
FOREST CENSUS.



at census of the standing timber in the
United States ever undertaken. The for
es, service has for several years been eager
to take such a census. and the bureau OF
the census has expressed its willingness to
CO. operate, bet funds have never been
available.
The conservation commission, however,
needs the information to help complete
its inventory of the country's natural re-
sources, which it will include in its re-
port to the President, and since that re-
port is to be submitted on the first OF next
wear, 1t needs the information at once. In
consequence the work on the census has
been started with rush and is now under
full Roadway.
1t may be q slight exaggeration to speak
of census OF timber. for of course it is
impossible to count the individual trees in
the forests; even the most ambitious
plans OF the forest service and the bureau
OF the census did not contemplate that.
But trained man can, with great accu-
racy, sscruise" tract Of forest and esti-
mate the number OF board feet it contains.
Large portions OF the forests Of the
country, including practically all the
national forests, have been estimated at
various times, but these figures have never
been brought together, and no organized
effort has ever been made to gather them
into one total. nor to supply the deficien-
cies v here hitherto no estimates have been
made.
As result, the guesses as to the amount
OF standing timber in the United States
range all the way from So, $50 million to
1000 billion board feet-a difference OF
more than trillion feet in the estimates
Of the best qualified authorities in the
country.
In the opinion OF the forest service, the
most carefully prepared estimates yet
made are those by Henry Gannett. pub
lished by the twelfth census in 1900.
These placed the total stumpsge at I $50
happens, has been chosen by the President
to compile all the information gathered
for the commission, and with his previous
acquaintance with the subject OF forestry,
be is at work now enlsrging the knowl-
edge Of forest areas at present svsilab Bile.
The importance OF this census lies
largely in the fact that it will give an
accurate basis for computing how long our
timber supplies will last. Through the
cooperation OF the forest service and the
census bureau, the country's annual con-
sumption OF wood is known with tolerable
accuracy, although even here there are
some discrepa ncies, becs use large amount
OF wood is used for posts, fuel and
domestic purposes, for " hieh no satisfac-
tory data have yet been collected. But
the consensus Of opinion among those
equipped to judge is that the present
annual consumption is about 100 billion
board feet, or something more than that.
One leading authority has placed it as
high as $50 billion board feet.
Assuming q stnmpage OF 1880 billion
feet, an annual use OF 100 billion feet, and
neglecting growth in the calculation, the
exhaustion Of our timber supply is indi
Gated in fourteen years. Assuming the
same use and stand, with an annual growth
OF forty billion feet, we have Q supply for
twenty-three years. Assuming an annual
use OF $50 billion feet, the first superstition
becomes nine years, and the second thir-
teen years. Assuming . stand OF 1000
billion feet, use Of 100 billion feet, and
neglecting growth, we have twenty years
supply. Assuming the same conditions,
with an annual growth Of forty billion
feet, we have thirty-three years supply.
With an annual use OF $50 billion feet,
these estimates become, respectively, thir-
teen and eighteen years.
1t is apparent from these computations
why the national commission considers
the census Of timber 80 essential to the
preparation Of its inventory.
The chief difference between the meth
DDS now being employed by the conserva-
tion commission and those the bureau OF
the census would use are that while the
bureau would send out enumerators to
make personal visits to al parts OF the
country, the commission is aiming at the
same results through tremendous amount
of correspondence. For instance, 800
letters have gone out to county clerks,
asking for statements OF forest areas in
their counties. Seven thousand lumber
men and timberlsnd owners have been
asked to supply similar information. In
all, nearly 15O, 900 letters have been sent.
These letters also ask for wide variety
Of information besides the area and capac-
ity OF forest. They touch upon all phases
not only Of the numbering and milling in
dustries but Of all others which are even
indirectly dependent upon the use of
wood. The purpose Of the commission is
not merely to learn how much wood is
growing now, but how long it may be
expected to last and how the supply may
be prolonged by economy
All government departments and bureaus
which have any information about forests,
as well as many large corporations, such
as Immigrant railroads which hold big
forest tracts in some states and have