, 1908-10-10


Of Well Known ofacIa. Of the Ser
vice In West
Washington, Oct. 8.-The National
Conservation commission has caused
the first comprehensive attempt at
censu OF the standing timber in the
United States yer undertaken. The
forest service has for several years
been eager to take such a census. and
the bureau Of the census has express
ed its willingness to cooperate, but
funds have never been available.
information Needed
The Conservation commission, how
aver, needs the information to help
complete It's inventory of the coun-
try's natural resources, which it will
include in its report to the president,
and since that report is to be submit
ted on the first Of next year, it needs
the information at nee. In conse-
quence the work on the census has
been started with a rush and is now
under full Roadway.
viii Make Estimates.
1t may be a slight exaggeration to
speak of a census of timber, for of
course it is impossible to count the
Individual trees In the forests; even
the most ambitious plans Of the forest
service and the bureau Of the census
did not contemplate that. But q train
ed man can with great accuracy
cruise a tract Of forest and estimate
the number of board feet 1t contains.
Work Never Regularly Done.
Large portions Of the forests OF our
country, including practically all the
national forests. have been estimated
at various times, but these figures
have never been made to gather them
into one total, nor to supply the def
ciencies where hitherto no estimates
have been made.
Great Differences in 0uesses.
AS a result, the guesses as to the
amount o fstanding timber in the United
States range all the way from 1922. 6S2
million to 1000 billion board feet
q difference OF more than a trillion
feet in the estimates Of the best quail
fed authoritieasin the country.
Cannot Now At Work.
In the opipon Of the fQgsft service.
the most carefully estimates
yet made are th0se hnett,
published by the census in
1900. These placed the total stumpage
at 1890 billion board feet. MI. Gan
nett, 1t SO happens, has been chosen
by the president to compile all the in
formation gathered for the commission,
and with his previous acquaintance
with the subject of forestry, he is at
work 10Y charging the knowledge OF
forest areas at present available.
Basis for Computation.
The Importance of this census lies
largely in the fact that it will give an
accurate basis for computing how long
our timber supplies will last. Through
the cooperation Of the forest service
and the census bureau, the country's
annual consumption of wood is known
with to.erable accuracy, although even
here there are some discrepancies, be-
cause a large amount of wood is used
Tor posts, fuel, and domestic purposes,
for which no satisfactory data have
yet been collected.
Tremendous Consumption.
But the %consensu OF opinion among
those equipped to Judge is that the
present annual consumption is about
100 billion board feet, or something
than that One leading authority has
placed it as high as $50 billion board
feet.
May Last Fourteen Years.
Assuming a stumpase of 1,400 billion
feet, an annual use of 100 billion feet,
and ~neglecting growth in the calcula-
tion, the exhaustion OF our timber sup
ply is indicated in fourteen years.
Assuming the same use and stand.
with an annual growth of forty billion
feet. we have q supply for % years.
Assuming an annual use OF $50 billion
feet, the first supposiuon becomes
nine years, and the second thirteen
years.
other Estimates Of Supply.
Assuming a stand of 1000 billion
feet, a use Of 100 billion feet, and neg.
lecting growth, we have twenty years
supply. Assuming the same condi-
tons, with an annual growth OF forty
billion feet, we have thirty-three
years supply. With an annual 8 Of
$50 billion feet these estimates be-
come, respectively. thirteen and eigh,
teen years.
Why Work Il Undertaken.
1t is apparent from these computa-
lions why the national conservation
commission considers the census Of
timber SO essential to the preparation
Of It's inventory.
Difference Between Methods.
The chief difference between the
methods now being employed by the
Conservation commission and those
the bureau Of the census would =
are. that while the bureau would send
out enumerators to make personal Wis
its to all parts Of the country, the com
mission Is aiming at the same results
through q tremendous amount Of cor
respondence. For instance. 800 let
ters have gone out to county clerks.
asking for statements Of forest areas
In their counEiea.
LumbesyNsn Asked 70 Help.
Seven thouaAn lumbermen and tim
beriAnd owners have bsen asksd TO
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