Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1908-01-22
THE DRAIN UPON The FORESTS.
They Are Being Cut Three Times as Fast
as They Grow.

Since 1880 the sources of lum-
Der supply have undergone remark
able changes. The first change
was in the regions from which the
principal kind Of lumber were
procured, and this was followed
by the substition of other kinds
of wood in their places. Neither
the centers of the lumber indus
try nor do the leading classes of
woods are the same as they were
twenty-f Q years ago. In 1880
nine ~States-Michigan, Pennsyl-
vania. Wisconsin,, New York,
Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Washington-pro-
duced 52.S per cent. or more than
half of the total lumber produc-
ton of United States. In 1905
these State produced 51.5 per
cent. practically the same proper
ton. but the changes which have
taken place in the output of in
dividual States ares.verysstriklng.
Michigan, for instance, cut % per
cent of the total in 1880 and but
Sc per cent in 1905; Louisi-
ana cut or per cent of the total
in 1880 and rs per cent in 1905;
Washington furnished but 90 per
cent of the lumber production of
1880 and lis per cent ofilthat of
1906. The cutting out of the vir-
gin 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 in
creased 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 sim
liar period in the history of the
country. This shows in q strlk-
ing manner how much the nation
depends upon forest products, and
indicates how greatly all interests
must suffer as lumber becomes
scarcer and dearer.
Statistics gathered by the Bu-
reau of the Census and the Forest
Service show that the quantities
of timber used last year for lum-
Der, shingles, ties, %pnlpwood,
cooperage stock, mine timbers.
lath, dlstillation, veneer, poles,
and t%urpentine and rosin, express
ed in board feet, reach a total Of
approximately 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 it is more difficult to OBJ
tain information, because the
products often pass through no
market, but are consumed on
the farm where they we're produc.
ed. Careful estimates, however,
place the total of wood used for
fuel alone at an equivalent of so
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 500 to 700 million
acres, and the annual growth at
60 board feet per, the yearly in
crease is from 30 to 40 billion feet.
At this rate, annual growth bare
ly equals the amount consumed
for lumber alone. Cosidering all
the drains, the annual consump-
ton of wood is probably three
times the annual growth. Detail
ed estimates of standing timber
range from 1,4O0 to- 1000 billion
feet. Using the larger figure,
and considering the annual growth
of 40 billion feet, it appears that
there is not more than a thirty
three years. supply of timber in
this country at the present rate
of consumption.
AT present only about % per
ceut of our total forest area is in
State or National Forests, the re-
mainder being unreserved public
lands OF in private hands. The
forest a.ea is amply sufficient, if
rightly managed, to produce even