The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-10-07

What Of the timber supply3
Every one who ever expects 10 own
home Is interested in this momen-
tous problem, asserts an exchange.
The forests are speedily disappearing
from the land, and nothing but care
full foresfing win preserve the timber
Of the American continent.
The land area Of the United States
is a little less than 2,OOO,0O0 square
miles. OF this area the best timber
experts believe that about 70 per cent
was originally wooded. The present
wooded area is 100000, or about
half the total area. But Of that
amount the present actual forest area
from which our timber supply must
be drawn is but 26 per cent Of the
total area.
The Atlantic forest area. as the
wooded section east Of the Mississippi
is known, comprises about three
fourths Of the original wooded area Of
the United States. The east front
Of this forest extended from Maine
20 Florida, stretching westward 70 and
beyond the Mississippi river, being in
dented on its central division front by
the prairies Of northern illinois and
Iowa but comprising to the northwest
ward the Great Lakes system and end
ing only at the valley Of the Red river.
Southwark Il reached TO eastern
Texas, covering in this direction all
the state Of Arkansas, nearly all Of
Missouri, a large part Of the Indian
territory, and presenting forest front
from Florida to Galveston.
Much Of this great region was Of
small growth, but vast unbroken areas
were dense with the finest standing
timber then known 10 man. in the
northern part were great tracts Of
hardwoods, while the soft woods such
as pine aboundeG IN the south
Extending from the western border
Of the original Atlantic forest TO the
foothills Of the Rockies Is and has
been since prehistoric times a treeiess
belt from 400 10 500 miles wide, be-
ginning far north Of the Canadian
border and extending south 10 the
Mexican line In this belt are Eve
states almost naked Of trees and total
freeless area region equal in area 70
one-half the great Atlantic forest. West
Of this the growth in broadleaved de-
ciduous trees commercially known as
hardwoods is incigDifeant-
Two forest regions lie between this
prairie and the Pacific ocean. These
are called the Rocky mountain forest
and the Pacific coast forest. The for
mer comes over the international line as
q continuation Of the forests Of British
Columbia. covering the western third
Of Montana and the northern half Of
Idaho in fairly continuous growths,
continuing thence sontheriy in dimin-
ishing and broken belts and patches
along the highlands and valleys Of the
Rocky mountains.
In tins forest. in the higher attitudes
and toward the south, 3 variety Of pines
prevail, being generally Of poorer quail
itv toward the higher and drier locali-
ties. To the north they partake Of the
nature and habit Of the Coast forest,
gradually merging into II 70 the west
ward
The Pacific coast forest, according
20 Milton o. Nelson, a timber expert,
ia its density and average quantity OF
timber per acre is the greatest forest
on the face Of the earth. Here are the
oldest and largest trees IN the world
Here timber grows TO such enormous
size that for many years the lumber in
dustry did little but nibble along the
edges Of il in the most easily worked
spots.
This forest runs south along the west
ern slopes Of the Cascade and Coast
ranges. having maximum density and
width in Washington and Oregon and
dwindling to small isolated mountain
areas in south central California In
quantity the Douglas, or red FIR, is
almost equal to all other varieties com
bined. 1t is found chiefly in Washing
ton and Oregon. With this timber is
also found white and western hemlock,
al growing to excellent merchantable
size and quality.
laundering on a large scale is con-
Quoted chiefly in the eoniferons forests
The hardwoods have gone into consump-
ton mainly by way of the sawmill-
4.