Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-04-14
NAMES TIMBER WASTE.
An Estimate by Fred A. Gilbert OF
Great Northern Paper Co.

An Estimate by Fred A. Gilbert OF
Great Northern Paper Co.
The annual loss to the State OF Maine
through failure to utilize properly its
wealth OF timber is estimated by Fred A.
Gilbert, of the Great Northern Paper Co.,
at over 100000 Q year on five of the
most common kinds-spruce, pine, fir,
hemlock and cedar. In addii ion to this,
the State is slowly losing its principal
assets, the standing growth Of the timber
itself. This latter loss is not due to the
cutting and marketing Of the timber lin
fact, but little more than one-half of
what the State is capable OF producing
is ever marketed), but to the great waste
and decay and the LOSSES by fire and wind.
There are in Maine 9,461 los acres OF
timberland and unincorporated and pub
lie lands, and q conservative estimate of
the pine, spruce, fir, hemlock and cedar
growing thereon, and of marketable size
in some form, is ii, 3O5, $40 600 feet, or at
the rate Of 5000 feet per acre. The rate OF
the growth Of spruce is nearly three per
cent, and as spruce grows more slowly
than any Of the other kinds OF trees men,
toned, three per cent. is a conservative
estimate Of the rate Of growth of the five
classes given. This indicates an annual
timber growth in Maine of about 1.4oo,-
100000 feet, and q fair estimate of the
quantity cut and marketed annually is
$50, 1000 900 feet. And yet, says Mr.. Gill
bert, while Maine is marketing CSC, 900 900
feet annually less than it ia capable of
producing, the supply Of timber remain
ing is constantly diminishing.
The greatest single cause of this con-
dition, says Mr.. Gilbert, is lack Of proper
railroad facilities. Over one-third Of the
timber Of the State is either not accessible
at all, or else is so remote from sranspor-
tation lines that only q small part Of it
can be probably marketed. These lands
for the most part are either actually losing
in value $50 far as the quantity OF stand
ing timber is concerned) through tie
maturity and decay OF the trees. or else
standing still'-the animal growth Just
offsetfina the decay. The largest single
''pocket" OF this timber is in what is COM
monty known as the "Allagash region.o
course, loss by fire, wind and waste in
cutting, which, while they cannot be en-
tirely prevented, could be reduced to
minimum by systematic regulation of
cutting, under modern forestry methods.
complete system of fire patrol, and by
making all OF the timber readily Access
sible.
"Given the needed railroad facilities
into this now inaccessible wealth of tim
ber," says Mr.. Gilbert, "a proper care in
cutting and an efficient fire patrol. and
the State is capable of producing 400
100000 feet of spruce, pine, cedar, hem
lock and fir annually, or 65O,0O0, goo feet
(less unavoidable fire and wind losses more
than it is now marketing, to say nothing
Of hard woods, and yet gain in the guam
tity Of timber standing.
"We are apt to think of the value of
timber as being the value to the owner Of
the land. As matter of fact, competent
authorities estimate that for every thou
sand feet Of timber marketed there is
total average expenditure of more than
$l6, OF which but small part goes to the
original owner. There seems to be no
good reason why the State should not
turn most OF this annual waste of 66O, Co.,
600 feet Of timber into 10000, 900 cash, to
be expended in the State each year, as in
terest, and ct the same. time retain its
principle, the standing timber, unim-
/, paired. .