The Robesonian., 1908-02-03
THE DRAIN UPON THE FOR
ESTS.
They Are Being Cut Three Times
as Fast as They Grow.

Der supply have undergone re-
narkable changes. The first
change was in the regions from
which the principal kinds of a
umber were procured, and this =
was followed by the substitution
Of other kinds Of woCd in their :
places. Neither the centers of
the lumber industry nor the
leading classes of woods are th,:
same as they were twenty five
years ago. In 1880 nine States
Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wiscon
sin, New York, Texas, Arkansas,
Mississippi, louisiana, and Wash
ington-produced 52'8 per cent,
or more than half of the total
lumber prod lction of the United
States. In 1906 these States
produced 81 5 per cent, practi-
c4lly the same proportion, but
the changes which have taken
place in the output OF individual
States are very striking. Mich |
gan, for instance, cut % per cent
of the total in 1880 and but O.
per cent in 1906; Louisiana cut
or per cent of the total in 1880
and per cent in 1905; Wash
ington furnished but 0 9 per cent
Of the lumber production of 1880
and 1l.5 per cent of that of 1906.
/ The cutting out of the virgin
( tim Der in the North and 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 in
crease in consumption of timber
since 1880 has been more rapid
than the increase Of the popula
ton, and greater than in any
/ similar period in the history Of
the country. This shows in a
striking manner how much the
nation depends upon forest pro-
! ducts, and indicates how greatly
all interests must suffer as lum-
Der becomes scarcer and dearer,
+ Statistics gathered by the
/ Bureau Of the Census and the
| Forest Service show that the
quantities OF tim Der used last
year for lumber, shingles, ties,
| pulpwood, cooperage, stock,
( mine, tim bers, lath, distillation
veneer, poles, tanning, and tur-
pentine and rosin, expressed in
board feet, reach a total of ap-
/ proximately so billion board
! feet.
| While these drains upon the
forest are known with reason
able certainty. there are others
tof which these is no record
These are the demand for posts,
fuel, and domestic purposes, re
tgarding which it is more diticul1
to obtain information. because
the products often pass through
no market, but are consumed or
the farm where they were pro
5 duced. Careful estimates, how
over, place the total Of wooC
used for fuel alone at an equiva-
? lent of so billion board feet ,
year. -
= 1t will be seen, then, that th'
present consumption of wood il
: all forms is above 100 billiol
= board feet annually. Estimating
o the forest area of the URiteC
States at from 500 to 700 million
= acres, and the annual growth a
f; 90 board feet per acre, the year
ly increase is from 80 to AZ bill
Ion feet. At this rate, the an
r nual growth barely equals th
? amount consumed for lumbe
a alone. Considering all the drains
!. the annual consumption: of WOO
# is probably three times the ar
IS nual growth. Detailed estimate
y Of standing timber range froE
n /, 400 to 1000 billion feet. Usin
t. the larger figure, and consider
q ing the annual growth of 40 bi
10 lion feet, it appears that there
'r not more than a thirty-thre
'k years supply of timber in thi
D. country at the present rate {
'F consumption.
q At present only about % pc
t cent of our total forest area is
OF State or National Forest, the r.
"a maInder being unreserved pul
le lie lands or in private hand
Ill Tne forest area is amply sufl
re eient, If rightly managed, to pr
70 duce eventually enough TIM be
ge to supply all our needs. Y,
K private owners as we'll as tt
ID State and National Government