Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-14
TIMBER DESTRUCTION AND PRES
ENT UESOJECES

ENT RESOURCES.
1t is true as mas been stated and
reiterated so many times in the press
that the destruction o. timber during
the past year, particularly during the
period of drouth, has been enormous.
and that it win require years to make
good this enormous loss, to say moth
ing OF the use Of forests for lcgiti-
mate purposes by lumbormen, wool
choppers and pulp wood dealers. Al
the same time j., is to be borne in
mind that there is another side to this
picture.
Few people have anything like .
clear idea Of the amount of forest
wealth left in this country. Those
who think at all about this natural
resource which has assisted IN mater
ial development since the landing Of
the first settlers arc usually too much
Influenced rs the condition of that
particular state or section in which
II they live IN a much dcforestcd or
treelcss region, the people usually
imagine that the country's timber sup
ply is even more limited than Is act
ualy the fact; on the other hand. with
those whose homes are located in a
section whore pinch In timber has
not been experienced. the feeling is
likely to be altogether the other way.
and some become so Indifferent at
not much reason to worry about
timber problem. Rotn can profit by
consideration OF the actual facts.
The forests of the United States
now cover about $50 million acres. or
about one-fourth of the land OF the
whole country. The original forests
covered not less than $50 million acres
or nearly one-half The forests owned
by tn" government cover one-fourth
of the total forest area. and contain
one fifth Of al; timber standing. For
csts privately owned cover three
fourths of the area and contain four
nfths ~ the standing timber. Resides
having three times the area and four
times the forests. the timberlana pri-
vatcly owned is generally more val
liable
Forestry. or conservative lumber
ing. is practiccd on seventy per cent.
of the forests publicly owned and on
less than one per cent. Of the fore sts
privately owned This covrrs tn-
country's forest resources as they
stand to-day. Senator Smoot, chair
man of the section Of forests of the
national conservation commission. in
outlining the future has said:
by reasonable thrift. we can pro-
duce constant timber supply beyond
our present need, and with IT conserve
the usefulness of our streams for ir-
rigation water supply, navigation. and
power.
Under RIGHT management, our for
ests will Yield over four tirnos as much
woods and in the mill ct least ono
third, with present as well as future
profit Wa can perpe tuatc the naval
stores industry. Preventative treat
ment will reduce by one-ilfth the uuan-
tity OF timber used in the water or IN
the ground. We can practically stop
forest fires at a total yearly cost Of
one-ffth the value OF the standing
timber burned each year not counting
young growth,
We shall suffer for timber to meet
our needs, until our forests have had
time to grow again. But If We act
vigorously and at once, we shah es-
cape permanent timber scarcity"
Vermont is not among the states
suffering from over-conndencc on the
part Of owners of woodland and the
champions OF forestry. our state has a
considerable territory occupied by q
sort of wooded growth which is worse
than waste because It viii amount to
nothing, and stll It prevents the own
crs from devoting the land to timber
that will be of value to himself ana
to the community.
Fortunately the present Legislature
has provided for a department Of for
cstry with the possibility Of enabling
the State to avail itself of the services
Of Il trained forester for certain
period, and there Is every reason for
believing that In the not distant future
the Green Mountain State viii take its
place among the most progressive
states in the Union in the movement
for the promotion OF the growth Of
timber aud wood
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN WEIR
MONT AND OTHEN STATES.