The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1908-01-24
The GREAT DRAIN
UPON THE FORESTS
they are BEND Cot Three times as
Fast as They Grow.

Since 1880 the sources Of lumber sup
ply have undergone remarkable changes,
The first change was y the regions
from which the principal kinds Of lum-
Der were procured, and this was fol-
lowed by the substitution Of other
kinds Of wood Ia their places. Neither
the centers Of the lumber industry nor
the leading classes Of wood are the
same as they were twenty-five years
aQo. In 1880 nine Michigan,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York,
Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Washington produced 52.8 per
cent. or more than half of the total lum-
Der production Of the United States In
1905 these States produced 5l.5 per
cent, practically the same proportion,
bat the changes which have taken place
IA the output Of individual States are
very striking. Michigan, for instance,
eut 28 per cent. of the total in 1880 and
but SIS per cent In 1906; louisiana cut
OF Der cent Of the total In 1880 and rs
per cent In 1906; Washington furnished
bat O.9 per cent. Of the lumber prOduc-
ton Of 1880 and Ills per cent Of that Of
1906. The cutting out Of the virgin
timber In the NORTH snd East has been
followed by increased drains upon the
forest resources Of the South and
West
Despite these conditions the amount
Of timber required has increased year
by year. The increase in consumption
az timber since 1880 has been more rap
ID than the increase Of the population,
and greater than any similar period in
the history Of the country. This shows
Ia a striking manner how much the ma.
ton depends upon forest products, and
indicates how greatly all interests must
suffer as lumber becomes scarcer and
dearer.
Statistics gathered by the Bureau Of
the Census and the forest Service show
that the quantities Of timber used last
yesr fot lumber, shingles, ties, pulp
wood, coOperage stock, mine timbers,
lath, distillation, veneer. poles, tanning,
and turpentine and rOsin, expressed in
boaEd Feet, reach a total Of approx
uiately so billion board feet.
While these drains upon the forest
are known with reasonable certainty,
there are others Of which there Is no
record. These are the demand for posts,
fuel and domestic purposes, regarding
which Il is more diffcnlt TO obtain in
formation, because the products often
pabB through no market, but are con-
sumsd on the farm where they were
produced Careful estimates, however,
place the total Of wood used for fuel
alone az on equivalento Of so billion board
feet a year.
Il win be seen, then, that the present
consumption Of wood in all forms Is
above 100 billion board feet annually.
Estimating the forest area Of the Unit
ed States at from 500 20 700 million
acres, and the annual growth at go
board feet per acre, the yearly increase
is from 80 20 az billion feet. At this
rate, the assaual growth barely equals
the amount consumed for lumber alone. !
Considering all the drains, the annual
consumption Of wood Is probably three
times the annual growth. Detailed es-
Inmates Of standing timber range from
/. 100 10 1000 billion feet. Using the
larger figure, and considering the an
nual growth Of 4ObilliOn feet, IL appears |
that there is not more than a thirty
three years supply Of timber in this
country az the present rate Of con-
mptiOn.
nsAt present only about p per cent. Of
our total forest area Is IN State or Ma
tiOnal forests, the remainder being IN ]
reserved public lands or in private
hands. The forest area il amply sufii-
cient, Il rightly managed, TO produce
eventually enough timber TO supply all
our needs Yet private owners, as well
as the State and National Governments
must use their forest lands in right
way II we are 20 maintain ourttimber
supply.
D Circular 129, just issued bY the For
~, contains a discussion Of 'the drains
ap0n the forests and the sources and
TIE duration Of the timber supply. This
solicitation viii be cent free upon APP |
blication 20 the Forester, u. s. Depart !
nsnt OF Agriculture, Washington,
y. z, @.-,-o--o-~.o-o.-o-