Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-08

| ioauS, lOo,VVV'VVV CuDlC rect wore used Tor
tlmbering mines and 10000 cords OF
wood were turned into alcohol. Many
million cords Of firewood were burnt A
vast amount of timber was used for
slaves and heads Of barrels, and enough
barrel hoops were turned out to give
five to every man, woman and child in
the United States and leave some to
spare.
We used more than 10000 cords of
native wood in our paper mills; this was
mainly spruce and .hemlock, and millions
went into notions of one kind or other
The tookpick, for instance, is little more
than a splinter, hut we have one factory
in Maine which makes 5e0,OOOOOO Of them
every year. We have other places which
turn out clothespins and wooden spools
by the hundreds of millions Several
hundred acres of forests are annually
burnt up as matches and more than 5000
acres are cut into shoe pegs in the space
OF twelve mouths. And then, there is the
enormous amount that goes into furni-
ture and into carts carriages and cars
of all kinds. The shingles, most of which
come from the far west are 1900 100000
in number, and the laths are four times
as great. There is a steady increase in
all of these products, so that the lumber
we are using is beyond conception enor-
NOUS All told, it sells for something
like $780,. 100000 a year; and the business
Of getting 1t out and putting It on the
market annually employs more than 1900
coo men, who receive over $1OOOOO,OOO in
wages.
Uncle Sam Warns Against Waste.
pause and wonder where we shall get our
wood for the future. This is one of the
warnings of Uncle Sam, patriarch, who
is doing all he can to cut down the waste.
In the national forests, of which / write
more further on, he has his men on the
lookout for fires, and he gives plans for
cutting and caring for any private forests
so that the woods may last longer. Any
man who owns trees can get plans from
the forestry service as to how to treat
them, and the government will send him
experts. Applications for such assistance
have been already received from owners
of 100000 acres, and in some places
only the ripe trees are now cut, and the
owners are studying how to keep out the
fires.
1t is estimated by the Department of
Agriculture that, if the private owners
will cooperate, the forests Of the south
ern pine belt can be patrolled for cents
per acre per year. and that the northern
forests. can be watched at a cost OF A
cents per acre, while the Rocky noun
tains and Pacific coast forests would cost
much less. They estimate that all the
forests in private hands could be pro-
tected from fires for less than $l0ooO,C0)
per year, and thus result in a saving of
far more than that in the valve of the
timber, and in the preservation of the
young trees for the future.
The government is doing all It can to
cut down the waste; it sends out advice
TO the lumbermen as TO how to handle the
timber and to the managers of the saw
mills as to the best kinds OF machinery.
Many of the railroad ties are now hewed
out with an axe; II cut with the saw, this
alone will save more than 280OO0,OOo cubic
feet of wood every year. About two
thirds of the wood in trees chopped down
for lumber is lost, and a large part OF
that intended for mine timbers, cooperage
and piles goes to waste. The govern
ment gives advice as to treatment of
timber in order TO keep out the insects
and rot The insects annually destroy
more than S,000OO0,O00 cubic feet; but this
may be prevented by soaking the timber
in chemicals. The same method is used
against rot, something like 1'4OOOOO,OoO
feet of boards being so treated last year.
We are now using about 100000 gallons
OF creosote and 100000 pounds Of zinc
chloride for this purpose.
As to losses by fire, they are still OF
enormous extent. From 1880 TO 1895 they
averaged $5O.OO0,OOO per annum. OF all
the private forests not more than 1 per
cent has now an efficient system of fire
protection, and only the largest OF the
private owners keep a 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 leaving oil
large stumps and the not using the tops
and branches. In the mills the thick
gang saw blades turn great deal OF
lumber to dust, and 1t il calculated that
II thin saws took their places the saving
would be more than 2OOO,O 100000 board feet
per annum.
Another feature Of the government work
IS the treatment OF the turpentine farms.
The turpentine comes from the Tesnous
gum which oozes out OF the Scared pine
tree into a hole. cut at the foot OF the
trunk, called q box. This cutting, year
after year, soon kills the tree. Now, In
place OF the box, tin troughs are fast
ened below the scars and clay jar
catches the gum.
Uncle Sans scientists say that there
Is an enormous amount OF turpentine In
the refuse of the sawmills Of the south.
and that this might be saved, yielding
about $4,000 gallons a year OF value
OF more than Sl0.Oo0 900.
, The chief work of the forestry bureau.
however. Is taking care of the national
forests; these arc OF enormous extent.
and they arc growing in value each year;
they now cover l95.000.OOO acres. In round