The Big Sandy news., 1919-09-26


reckless rate. even with q big supply
| In sight. But there Is greater drain
| upon our wood resources. Fire takes
more than the mills. The eastern
slope OF the Rockies Is 20 per cent
burnt land and the timber map -
| splotched with great black patches oil
the way from Puget sound 20 the
| Penobscot. In some parts Of Maine
the burnt area greatly exceeds the
green. In the South the pine and the
cypress are being cut away at an
alarming rate, and in the Pacific states
the Douglas fir and other growths are
beIng turned into money as rapidly
MS possible.
To make up for all the cutting. lit
tie is being done. Scientific forestry
is making some progress, but as yet
efforts In that direction are as nothing
compared with tree slaughter. Re
forestation Is being carried on In some
states. as on small scale In Maine,
/ but a tree doesn't grow In a day. A
big spruce may be felleg In five min
utes, but its reproduction win re-
quire 40 years.
II Is not altogether question Of
wood supply, either. As the forests 90
the floods will come. waterpowers
will fall and all industry viii suf-
fer. Therefore. there must be a lot
OF tree planting In this country. else
pretty much everything win 90 by the
board.
Advance In Pulp Wood Values.
The advance In pulp wood values
within 30 months has been remark-
able, even for the times. Before the
entrance OF this country into the war,
peeled wood delivered In the mill yard
in Maine wns worth 50 cord.
Now the price Is SIS in Maine and in
New York state 500 cord. This ad-
vance Is due In part TO higher wages
and In part to a little proflteerlng or a
turn OF thrift by the land owners.
Wages before the war. that IS up 70
the spring ok 1917. were $50 TO $35 Q
month and board. In 1918 and 1919 the
rate jumped TO 500 TO $0b a month, and
In some Instances MS high as $50 or
$50 has been paid. Just now. because
Maine Is pretty well stocked. the de-
mand for labor and the price show a
declining tendency. But in the United
states rs whole the supply Of wood
Is short Of the demand. and there
seems to be no prospect Of lower
prices either OF labor or product.
One operator In Maine. Maasas
chusctts man. who got Into the lum-
ber business through his love OF ma
ture, cut last year on Moiunee6s and
the east branch Of the penobscot
10000 cords. or 1D.O00000 feet. Of pulp
wood md 100000 feet OF long logs.
and viii cut this year 10000 cords, Or
100000 900 feet OF pulp wood, employ
Ing COO men at S62 a month and
hoard or for piece work. $3.50 to s3.7D
cord. b
The common impression y that al
wood pulp is made into paper and
that the Increased demand for news
print alone Is Responsible for the de-
mutation of our forest lands. II is
true that most OF the pulp goes to
satisfy the appetite cf the printing
presses, but there have been deveI-
oped IN recent years many and yari-
GUS other uses for the fiber OF tho
spruce and poplar. Innnmerahle
articles hre now inside Of wood PULP
doors. dishes, buttons. boards. boxes.
pie plates by the million. trunks and
car wheels. and mIlady who pafades
the avenue. proud Of her gown Of
tricolctte. may be surprised TO learn
that In that silkcn fabric is woven
the fiber Of the spruce-that she owes
something Of the lnster and durable
texture Of her finery TO me fragrant
forests Of Maine.