The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-12-03
NAMES LOST TIMBER.
Lumber Worth $1o,ooo,ooo said to lBs
\ Wasted Each Year.

Il
Wasted Each Year.
The annual loss to the State OF
Maine through failure to utilize prop
erly it's wealth of timber is estimat
ed by Fred A. Gilbert OF the Great
Northern Paper Company at over
$10,000,00O on FIVE of the most com.
mon kinds-spruoe, pine, fir, hem
lock and cedar. In addition to this
the State is slowly losing one of its
principal assets, the standing
growth of the timber itself This
latter loss is not due to the cutting
and marketing Of the timber-in fact
little more than one-half Of what the
State is capable of producing is ever
marketed-but to waste, decay and
loss by fire and wind.
There are in Maine 9,461,1 0S acres
of timber land and unincorporated
and public lands, and a conservative
estimate of the pine, spruce, fir,
hemlock and cedar growing thereon.
and of marketable size in some
form, is 47,305, $4,000 feet, or at the
rate Of 5000 feet an acre. The rate
of the growth of spruce is nearly 3
per cent, and as spruce grows more
slowly than any of the other kinds of
trees mentioned per cent. is a con-
sentative estimate Of the rate OF
growth OF the five classes given.
This indicates an annual timber
growth in Maine of about 100000
600 feet and a fair estimate Of the
quantity cut and marketed annually
in 750, 100000 feet; and yet, says Mr..
Gilbert, while Maine is marketing an
nually 65t,o00,00O feet less than It
is capable Of producing. the supply
OF timber remaining is constantly
diminishing.
The greatest single cause of this
condition, says Mr.. Gilbert, is lack
Of propeS railroad facilities. Over
one-third of the timber of the State
is either not accessible at oil or else
is so remote from transportation
lines that only a small part of it
can be profitably marketed These
lands foY the most part are either
actually losing in value, so far as
the quaHtity Of standing timber is
concerned, through the maturity and
decay OF the trees, or else standing
still-the annual growth just offset
ting the decay. The largest single
pocket ce this timber is in what Is
commonly known as the Allagash
region.
Other causes Of the great waste
are loss by fire, by wind and in cut
ting. which. while they cannot be en-
tirely. prevented, could be reduced to
"a minimum by systematic regula-
ton of cutting under modern fores-
try methods, complete system OF
fire patrol and. by making all Of the
tinsser readily accessible.
"Given the needed railroad facili.
ties into this now inaccessible wealth
of timber says Mr.. Gilbert. "a prop
err care In cutting and an efacient
fire patrol and the State lie capable
OF producing 1.40o,OO0;000 feet OF
spruce, pine, cedar, hemlock and fir
annually, or 650.OO0.0O0 feet, less an
avoidable fire and wind losses, more
than It is now marketing, to say
nothing Of hard woods, and yet gain
in the quantity of timber standing.
1--WE are apt to think of the value
of timber as being the value to the
owner Of the land. AS a matter OF
fact competent authorities estimate
that for every thousand feet OF tim
Der marketed there is total ave-
rage expenditure of more than SIS,
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 65O.OO0O0O feet of timber
into $1o,000.O00 cash profit, to be ex-
pended in the State each year as in
terest and at the same time retain
its principal, the standing timber. un-