The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-04-02
The Drain upon the Forests.


Since 1880 the sources Of lumber
supply have undergone aikable
changes. The first change was In the
regions from which the principal
kinda OF lumber were procured, and
this was followed by the substitution
of other kinds of wood In their
places. Neither the centers of the
lumber industry nor the leading
classes of woods are the same ne they
were 25 years ago. In 1880 nine states
Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin,
New York, Texas, Arkansas, Mississ-
ippi Louisiana, and Washington--pro-
duced 50 8 per cent, or more than half
OF the total lumber production OF the
United States. In 1906 these states
produced 5l.2 per cent. practically
the same proportion, but the changes
which have taken place In the output
Of individual states are very striking.
Michigan, for instance, cut % per
cent of the total in 1880 and but s. 6
per cent in 1906; Louisiana cut or
per cent of the total In 1880 and rs
per cent In 1906; Washington furnish
ed but 90 per cent of the lumber pro.
duction of 1880 and lilo per cent of
that of 1906. The cutting out of the
virgin timber in the north and east
has been followed by increased drains
upon the forest resources of the south
aud west.
Despite these conditions the
amount OF timber required has In
creased year by year. The increase
Ia consumption of timber since 1880
has teen more rapid than the incIe
of the population, and greater than
In any similar period In the history
OF the country. This shows In a
striking manner how much the ma
tion depends upon forest products,
and indicates how greatly all interests
must suffer as lumber becomes scar
Ger and dearer.
Statistics gathered by the bureau of
the census and the forest service show
that the quantities of timber used
last year for lumber, shingles, ties,
pulpwood, coopeiage stock, mine tim.
bers, )ath, distillation, veneer, poles,
tanning and turpentine and rosin, ex-
pressed In board feet, reach total
of approximately so billion board
feet.
While these drains upon the forest
are known with reasonable certainty,
there are others of which there IL no
record. these are the demand for
posts, fuel and domestic purposes,
regarding which 1t is more difficult
to obtain information, because the
products often pass through no mar
ket, but are consumed on the farm
where they we're produced. Careful
estimates, however, place the total of
wood used for fuel alone at an equiv
alent of 80 billion board feet year.
1t will be seen, then, that the pres
ent consumption OF wood In all forms
is above 100 billion board feet annual
ly. Estimating the forest area of the
United States at from 500 to 700 mil
lion acres, aud The annual growth at
60 board feet per acre, the yearly in.
crease Is from 30 to s2 billion feet.
At this rate, the annual growth bare
ly equals the amount consumed for
lumber alone. Considering all the
drains, the annual consumption of
wood is probably three times the an.
nual growth. Detailed estimates OF
standing timber range from l,400 to
1000 billion feet. Using the larger
figure, and considering the annual
growth of 40 billion feet, 1t appears
that there is not more than thirty.
three years. supply Of timber In this
country at the present rate of con-
sumption.
At present only about % per cent
of our total forest area 10 In state or
national forests, the remainder being
unreserved public lands or in private
hands. The forest area is amply suf1.
cient, il rightly managed, to produce
eventuslly enough timber to supply
all our needs.
Yet private owners, as we'll as the
stat and national governments, must