The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-01-17
DRAIN UPON THE FORESTS
They are Being Cut Three
as Fast az They Grow.

as + dSG dS 1u0y QIOW'
Since 1880 the sources of lum Der
suppl have undergone remarkable
change. The first change was in
the regions from which the prime
ipal kinds Of lumber were pro-
cured, and this was followed by
the substitution of other kinds OF
woods in their places. Neither the
centsrs of the lumber industry nor
the leading classes Of woods are
the same as they were twenty five
years ago. In 1880 nine States
Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wiscon
sin, New York, Texas, Arkan
sas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Washington produced 52.S-per
cent. or more than half of the total
lum Der production of the United
States In 1906 these States pro
duced 81 5 per cent, practically
the same proportion. but the chan
ges which have taken place in the
output of individual States are
very striking. Michigan, for inst
ance, cut % per cent of the total
in 1880 and but SO per cent in 1906
Louisiana cut or per cent of the
total in 1880 and 10 per cent III
1906; Washington furnished but
90 per cent of the lumb; produc
ton of 1880 and 11.5 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 and West.
Despite these conditions the
amount of timber required has
increased year by year. The in
crease in consumption of timber
required since 1880 has been more
rapid than the increase of popula
tion land greater than in any sim
liar period in the history of the
county. This shows in striking
manner how much the nation
depends upon TO. est 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 year for lumber, shingles,
ties, pulpwood, cooperage stock,
mine imbers, lath, distillation,
veneer. poles, tanning, and tur.
pentine and rosin, expressed in
board feet, reach total of approx
imately 80 billion board feet.
While these drains upon the for.
est are knownwith reasonable GER
tainty, there are others of which
there is no record. These are the
demand for post, fuel, and domes-
tic purposes, regarding which 1t
is more difficult to obtain intorma-
ton, because the products often
pass through no marhet. but are
consumed on the farm where they
were produced. Careful estimates.
however, places the total OF wood
used for fuel alone at an equiva-
lent of 30 billion board feet a year.
1t will 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 United States at
from 200 to 700 million acres, and
the annual growth 1t 80 board feet
per acre, the yearly increase ID
from 80 to AZ billion feet. At this
rate, the annual growth barely
equals the amount consumed for
lumber alone. Considering all
thedrains. the annual consumption
of wood is probably three times
the growth. Detailed estimates of
standingtimherrang FRONT 400 TO
9, 900 billion feet. Using the larger
figure, aud considering the annual
growth of40 billion feet, it appears
that there is not more than
thirty three years. supply OF
timber in this country at the pres
ent rate of consumption.
At present only about 20 per
cent of our total forest area is in
State or National Forests. the re-
maiuder being unressrved public
lands or in private hands. The
forest area is amply sufficient, il
rightly managed, to produce
yentually enough timber to sup
\ A. all our needs. Yet private
Mt ars, rs we'll ~ the State and