The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-13
UMBER is rapidly becoming q
we'll nigh precious commodity.

well nigh precious commodity.
49, Week by week the prices OF
building and wood working materials
mount and the housing problems here
and the reconstruction tasks abroad
are bound to grow more setiou for
this reason in the months to cyme.
But the mere question of increased
costs is by no means the prime reason
for domestic alarm In this field OF in
dustry. which tests fundamentally
upon natures bounty. America is
facing a rude awakening and heavy
accountability for its erstwhile prodi-
saiity.
The United States Forest Service
recently has published tables dealing
with the national production of III nber
in the year past and according to the
official figures the output totalled
quite s2.7s0. ooo. 900. feet. From the
same source we learn that our saw
mills produced In 1877 matter OF
$4,000. 100000 feet; and We are left TO
conclude that the reduction is an index
OF 'dimiuution in demand. However,
the decrease Of 3,240. o0o. 900 feet during
the last year occurred for the most
part in the Southern and Eastern
States just where greatly stimulated
activities In other directions drew
labor from the timber lands to better
paying employments. The unfortunate
fact persists that we are ravaginP our
forests at a destructive rate, and,
relatively speaking, we are doing
precious little toward restoring or re-
stocking these vast tracts OF natural
wealth.
Drafting Forestry Policy.
Within the past month a conference
one OF a series-was called at the
national capital for the purpose Of
working out a forestry policy for the
United States. and the Department OF
Agriculture has arranged for a num-
Der OF these meetings and hearings
10 be held in various parts OF the
country. The time has manifostly
come when we have got to face the
situation squarely and recognize that
our timber lands, just like our farms,
should be taken care Of from season
20 season and replanted so as to
neutralize the cutting down Of needful
trees.
Col. Henry S. Graves, chief Of the
forest service. made this statement a
short while back. mo matter how
big a programme of public forests we
have we must recognize that large
portion of the dement's Which have got
to come from forestry In this country
must come from forests now privately
owned. The forest service has started
vigorously to bring about a reasonable
p,actice OF forestry on all private lands
which remain In forests" That Is to
say, the lumber COMPANIES which are
now substantially denuding the vast
acreage which they control will be
expected TO restock them promptly by
the planting Of enthusiastically
seedlings OF those trees which do not
reproduce themselves when once their
, stands have been cut by the woods
mans axe.
The public generally may not be
aware Of It. but there are varieties OF
the conifers. such as the pines. fir
spruce, cedar. &C.. which, when de-
stroyed by fire or removed by the lum-
bermeri. do not start new growthi
from their stumps and roots as dc
other species of trees.
The birch. the maple and other
sorts commonly spring UP Of their
own accord where the conifers have
previously stood. and these self-plant-
ing substitutes are only occasionally
Of anything like the value of the stands
OF timber which they may replace
Therefore, II IL essential that the per-
petuation Of the more desirable sources
Of the raw product should be promoted
through the deliberate planting Of
seedlings OF their particular kinds.
The yellow Pine Prabien.
One Of the most widely used and
withal, one OF the cheapest OF oul
sources Of lumber is the yellow PINE
OF the Csrolinas and elsewhere In the
South. In normal periods we use VI
yearly between 1900 100000 and q.
900 10000 board feet Of this material
and II has been stated that we hav,
left standing to-day probably not NOR,
than 10000, 900. 900 feet OF this timber ir
the States cast of the Mississippi
River.
Unless steps are taken to restoc'
y