Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-10-30
WASTE OF FORESTS.
Vast Stretches of Territory Have Been
Made Barren Through Carelessness.

Made Barren Through Carelessness.
"All lumbermen are not wasteful. far
from it" says II. $, kellogg. assistant
forester in the United States Forest serv-
ice, in speaking about the progress of
forestry in this country, Just the con-
trary is true in many cases and the NUM-
Der of men in the lumber industry awak-
ening to the necessity of conserving the
country's forest resources is increasing
each day Progressive lumhermeu realize
that they must adopt conservative meth
DDS or live to watch the slow death of
their great industry.
Vast stretches of territory have been
made barren, through, as we think now,
the careless and almost criminal methods
OF the old-tlme lumberman. Practically
every section of the country bears scars
left after he had skinned the land aud
left what remained open to the ravageS
of fire. The waste in the woods was ter
riic the mill waste was almost as Sc
rlous. In many cases the percentage OF
the tree that was sent 20 the market IN
the form of lumber was so small that |
would he ashamed to meution the figure.
1t was considerably less than half,
"AN this, however, was more the
fault of conditions than of the individual
lumbermen. While some of them were
without doubt unnecessarily wasteful,
the majority operated as economically
a they were able to and still make
profit. Lumber was cheap, aud many
times only the best grades could be sold
| Things have been changing during the
| last few years, however. for the timber
| supply Is dwinding aud prices of forest
products are rising TO point that per-
mits fuller utilization of timber.
Waste has been reduced because con-
| ditons now make it profitable to use
much of the stuff that was formerly left
/ in the woods. Improved saWmill ma
| chinery Is also playing an important
| part in the matter of the closer utiliza-
| ton of the tree. Better work in the
woods, reduction Of mill waste aud pro-
! lection of timber holdings from fire are
! going long way towards conserving
our forest resources.
| DO not think from this that all Of the
| old time practices have ceased or that
all who are cutting forests are praeticing
lforestfy-not all, nor maybe the majority.
but the number is increasing, for the
| wide-awale men are learning that con-
| servatiye numbering pays. \ progressive
| PENNSYLVANIA firm manufacturing ium-
her hath and shingles outlines its policy
ms follows:
1--WE have always pursued a conserva-
tive course IN numbering. taking care Of
| our timber aud striving to keep out the
i tire. ANY timber that blows down or
should he burned we gather up at once
and always. SO far as possible, all trees
| struck by lightning.
We manufacture with thin saws.
| band and gangs. We strive to do our
| work as well as anybody can and take
| pride in the fact that we can furnish
anything in white oak, white pine, or
| hemiock. that any firm can east of the
| Rocky mountains and at any time. We
make all our hath from the slabs and
edgings, making about six and a half
| millions year. Tue balance Of the hem
lock slabs aud edgings after taking ont
| the tath, we load up and send to the
| pnlpwood mill, about 5000 cords per
year Our shingles are made from brol-
| en- pieces forks and hollow butts. about
SIX million per year, We also ather tln
the tops and breaks and limbs Of the
| hemlocs and hard wood timber left int
the siaShlngs using oil but the oak, hick.
| DRY ana chestnut, aud send that 10 the
/ pulp mills, about 5000 cords Of 100 cubic
| feet ehch, per year This gathers up the
| refuse III the forest so well that there
| h little fuel to make n destructive forest
| fire
Every man in oar employ for the
| past thirty years has had positive orders
when lie sees Il smoke start on our land
| or anyone elae's to drop his work al once
! and go put that fire out. If he hasn't
| help sufficient to do IL, to send to the
| office and we will give him men enough
| to put IL out. In this way we have
! saved nearly all cur land from devasta-
| ton by fire. II in coming up well IN
second growth of which we do not cut
| auy.
A question Of taxation IL a very Sc
! RIOTS one, Timber band has been as
| sesged ana taxed SO high that the own
| ers have been compelled to cut II off and
could not hold it. Our recent law per
/ mts some concession on thirty acres Of
| land only 10 enc owner where kept III
/ growing timber. If taxation of growing
| timber We're lower owners would not be
| compelled 10 cut 1t so rapidly. So far
/ we have not succeeded In any legislation
/ for the prevention IF forest fires that
| amounts To anything. If the fire can he
| Kept out and taxation reduced, with iu-
dicious cutting there il no reason why
| Pennsylvania should not have timber
| sufficient for NIL time
Statements like these" continued the
| forester, show that practical meu Of
the lumber industry at present are differ
| ent from the old timers who went into
the forest, sashed away to their heart Il
content, and told the world that the TIM
Der resources Of the United States were
| inexhaustible. Although a considerable
proportion Of our future supply will
come from national and state forests,
the @rent bulk Of our timber land IN in
private hands, and much Of the lumber
used by the next generation will come
from IL. While there are unquestiOnably
short years ahead for us we can event
ualiy produce all the timber we really
need If we 20 at it in the right fash
ion. This Pennsylvania firm is on the
right track and many other timber land
owners VIII introduce similar methods
| of conservation and wise utilization as
| soon as conditions become such that