The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-21

work that will be needed in the interior
when that region Is more fully devel-
oped and made accessible by railroads.
The annual growth of the coast forests
is in excess of the local needs, and UNI
less methods of utilization which will
result in expectation are developed these
products cannot be rightly handled or
properly conserved.
But the interior conditions tell differ
ent story. There the forest stand varies
from practically nothing. in areas OF
scrubby black spruce, to 20 or more cords
per acre in the birch-aspen type, and
several thousand board feet per acre III
the best white spruce forests. The best
timber of spruce, birch and poplar grows
in the valleys. particularly along the
Tanana in the Fairbanks district. Black
spruce predominates in the more poorly
drained situations. The average of tim
Der is small, white spruce rarely and
balsam poplar sometimes attaining Is to
"a inches in diameter; the white birch
and aspen average eight inches in d.
ameter, though maximum of Is inches on
unusually favorable sites are noted, and
black spruce rarely attains a diameter
of six inches: while the heights of the
different species run from 20 feet for the
black spruce to 70 feet for the best white
spruce Naturally it is impossible Tor
timber to grow rapidly or to large size
in soil permanently frozen. Unlike the
coast forests, those of the interior have
suffered much from fires; in some cases
10 times as much timber has been killed
by fire than has been cut for fuel or
lumber.
The bulk of the timber cut in the forests
of the central plateau is for frewOod,
several times as much being used for
that purpose as for lumber Nor Is this
surprising, as the interior of Alaska de-
ponds entirely upon wood for heat, light
and power. Wood is burned by the Tan
ana Valley railroad, which has Is miles
Of track out from Fairbanks; the river
steamers, except three large boats on the
Yukon which use oil, burn wood; and the
severe weather of the eight months
winter when the thermometer sometimes
goes down to so degrees below zero, makes
the consumption for fuel in domestic af-
fairs much larger than the population
about 3O,0OO-would use under conditions
| existing elsewhere.
| The present sparse population will I'M
doubtedly be greatly augmented, and it's
need for timber will be large, therefore,
it's timber supply should be conserved to
lessen as far as possible the heavy ex-
penSe WHICH Importation VIII entail, dS
| transportation is slow, expensive and UNI
certain and by boats which operate only
few months of the year.
| Obviously all the forests of Alaska
should be protected and made of the ut
most permanent use. They should be
managed so as to increase the stand of
| the best timber-spruce-and decrease
that of the less desirable hemlock. Utili-
cation of the present overmature timber
of the coast should be encouraged, while
the insufficient supply in the forests OF
the interior should be given the best of
care for it is not likely, with most in
| telligent management, to be able to fur
Irish more than part of the home de-
mand, as the high grade timber which
may be needed will always have to be
imported