The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-01-08
MIR WOOD SUPPLY Is WANING FAST

have moved up to fifth and sixth
places, while Michigan goes to fourth.
Pacific States First.
New York formerly led all the
states in the production of lumber.
Later it's place was taken by Penn
sylvania. In the period following
the civil war the rapid extension of
railroads brought into the market
the great white pine forests of the
lake states and the chief source Of
supply moved thither When Wash
ington supplanted Wisconsin the
leadership had crossed the continent.
In fifty years it passed from the At
lantic to a Pacific coast state.
The holding of the first rank in
production by state does not locate
the country's chief source of supply.
Washington now stands first among
the states, yet the south is supplying
more lumber than the west. The
magnificent yellow pine forests of
the south arc being rapidly cut and
marketed, just as was done with the
white pine forests of Michigan and
Minnesota from 1879 to 1900, and
the Pacific coast will soon be the
chief source of supply.
A circular in the American For
estry Association says that many
have a mistaken conception of the
policy of the government in estab-
fishing national forests. 1t is not
for the purpose of preventing the
cutting of timber, but rather to en-
courage and foster it under govern
ment supervision.
All lands in the national forests
are withdrawn from entry and put
under the care of a forest ranger
The timber on them, when ready for
cutting, is sold by the government to
any person who desires to purchase,
but it must be cut according to gov
eminent direction. This saves the
small trees, requires the proper clear
ing of the underbrush, a careful dis
position of the slash and guarantees
perpetuation of the forests.
National Forests.
At the present time nearly four
ffths of the forests of the United
States have passed or are likely TO
pass into private ownership, the ma
tional forests comprising the other
one-fifth. The average age or the
trees now cut for lumber is about
$50 years.
In order to secure a second crop OF
timber of the same size to mature
the owner would be compelled to
wait fully 100 years. AS rule sucn
longtime investments as this walt
ing would involve do not commend
themselves to business men who are
accustomed to quick returns.
But the states and nation can look
much further ahead The larger,
then. the area of national and state
control over woodlands the greater
is the likelihood that the forests OF
the country will be kept permanent
ly productive.
The average American uses some
400 feet of lumber each year, as
against sixty feet used by his Euro
mean neighbors. Lumber prices are
lust twice as high as they were III
1900. and the tendency is still up
ward.
The federal forests comprise an
area greater than the total area OF
the republic of France or the Ger
man empire in Europe, each supple
mented by the Netherlands; put even
with these precautions the most care
fuI and conservative estimates snow
that the lumber supply will be prac-
ticallv exhausted in from thirty TO
forty years.
What Wood Is Used For.
More than a fourth of the lumber
cut each year in the United States
is made into boxes, crates, barrels
and other packages. A large pro-
norton of the lumber thus employed
is destroyed after the box or package
has been used but once.
This has led to the too frequent
use of boxes of inferior quality ana
one of the greatest drawbacks to
American trade abroad is that the
goods are too often shipped in cases
too frail to stand the trip halfway
around the world
Red cedar from which pencils are
made has become so scarce that IL
eniovs the distinction of being
bought and sold by the pound.
Most of this cedar comes from Ten
nessee Alabama and Florida, ana
the supply in Tennessee is nearly
Fence rails that weathered the
civil war have gone into pencils.
Stumps have been dug up and sold
for more than did the trees when
we're cut from them to make rail-
road ties.
Fence posts have given way to
newer kinds of wood and have been
carted to the pencil factory TO De
sold for SO a hundred pounds. anu
vet this red cedar will grow any"her.e7
4 in the United States where the sou
does not contain too much sand OF
clay; will flourish on land that IS