The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-08

to keep out the insects and rot. The
insects annually destroy more than
eight billion cubic feet: but this may be
prevented by soaking the timber in
chemicals. The same method is used
against rot something like fourteen
hundred million feet of boards being so
treated last year. We are now using
about sixty million gallons of creo-
sote and nineteen million pounds of
zinc chloride for this purpose.
as to the loses by fire. they are still
OF enormous extent. From 1850 to 1886
they averaged s5o,ooo,0oO per auuum. OF
all the private forests not more than
Per cent, has now an cftieient system,
OF IRE protection. and only the largest
OF the private owners keep forest
fire patrol.
The government estimates that about
one fourth OF all the timber logged
out In the forest goes TO waste. This
comes from careless cutting. the leav-
ing OF large stumps and the not using
the tops and branches. In the mills
The thick sang-saw blades turn great
deal OF lumber TO dust and II is cal
cuiated that IL thin band saws took
their places the saving would be more
than 1000. 100000 board feet per anpum.
Another feature OF the government
work Is the treatment of the. turpentine
farms The turpcntIne comes from the
restnous gum which oozes out of the
Scared pine trees into a hole cut at the
root of the trunk, called box. This
cutting. year after year, soon Kills the
tree. Now. in place Of the box. tin
troughs are fastened below the scars
and clay jar catches the gum.
Uncle Sans scientists say that there
Is an enormous amount of turpentlne in
the refuse of the sawmills OF the South,
and that this might be saved, yielding
about a6.ooo,0Q0 gallons a year, or a
value OF more than sit.ooo.o0o.
Our National Forests.
The chief work of the Forestry Blu
reau, however, is taking care of the
national forests. These are OF enor-
nous extent, and they are growing In
value each year They now cover
ls6.0o6oO0 acres. In round numbers
they are about equal to eight States as
big as Kentucky or Virginia, ond they
have more than 500. 900 900, 900 board
feet of merchantable timber. AT This
estimate they contain about one-tenth
Of the woods which covered the United
states Mt the time 1t began to be set
tied, and going back to our honeIy
comparison. contain enough lumber to
'N-'NS u p'aip"oIh iopl Woe from
here TO the sun.
The value OF these government wood j.
lands cannot be overestimated. Mr.
clifford Plnchot once said they we're
worth more than two thousand millions
OF dollars. and that the standing tim
her upon them IS worth close TO a BILL
Hon. He said that the forests ought
TO eventually bring in an income OF
about six million dollars year BY
cutting only the ripe and dead and
down timber. and at the Same time
Yield some additional revenue from the
lands used for grazing.
These forests will grow in value and
IN tho amonnt Of wood which they con-
tain SO that when our private forests
ere cut away they will give us the lum-
her OF the future. In addition, they
control the sources OF our rivers and
are the basis OF the water supply of
those regions. 1t Is also estimated that
tho waterfalls In the woods are equal
TO hfteen million horsepower. They
VIII some time be harnassed. on leases