The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-11-07

D ID 9 number of people in that
day was small compared
with the population of the United
States now. In those olden times peo-
pie would have been aghast ut the
thought of paying So or $40 cord for
frewood. Yet these prices, and even
higher ones. have been charged in may
cities the last two seasons When colo
weather approached and no coal had
been put into the cellars, great num-
bers of people turned to the wood
yards and to the farmers advertising
wood as last resort. Fuel commits
sions have advised the burning of
wood, pointing out that "a cord of the
best quality hardwood, thoroughly sea-
soned, has the same potential fuel
value as a ton of anthracite coal.
Moreover, 1t Is decidedly more eco
nomical for heating purposes during
the early fall and late spring, when
only temporary fires are required. Also
wood ashes have a definite value as
fertilizer.
That the farmers of the country
helped materially in conserving coal in
1918 by substituting wood as fuel is
shown by the bureau of crop estimates
of the department of agriculture. An
average of 11.5 cords of wood, or to-
tai of 1902 600 cords, was burned on
the farms of the TRY during 1918.
The total production of, cordwood dur
ing the year, which includes wood
burned on farms and that sold by
farmers to city dwellers, amounted to
approximately 1O2,903,OOO Cords. The
average farm value in 1918 was 70
cents a cord. Upon the basis of esti-
mates for 1918 the farm fleetwood
crop Is one of the important crops of
the farm. inasmuch as only five crops
corn, wheat, oats, rye and cotton-ex-
ceeded 1t in value in 1915.
In the utilization of the forests of
the country, including farm woodlands,
a great deal of wood material Is pro-
duced which cannot find use other
than as fuel. While some of 1t Is used
for acid wood, charcoal, ETC., most of
it is left for fuel or wasted. Since
many Of the trees in our forests are fit
only for fuel, they will not be cut I'M
less there is a demand for fuel wood
Improvement cuttings, which take the
small. diseased, or defective trees, can
profitably be made use of only In case
there Is such demand. Trimmings can
frequently be made to pay for them
selves, If the material is used for fuel
Sometimes products of Trimmings car
be used for other purposes than fuel
but more often they cannot. AS proper
Trimmings and improvement cutting
are great stimulus to increased pro
duction and ut the same time improv
the quality Of the timber, fuel WOO,
demand opens up great opportunit
for forest improvement and, If wide
spread and continued, will produce
vast total effect for the better in tn
character and quality of our forest r,
sources.
The great bulk of wood-fuel suppl
in farming regions should come frol
Trimmings and improvement cuttings O
farm woodlands. Except under sire.
Of emergency, trees which will produt
lumber or other material Of high'
value than cordwood should not be Ct
for fuel. Trees which are better sui
ed for fuel than for any other purpos
whose removal will be Of benefit
the remaining stand. are: Sound stan
ing and down dead trees; trees di
eased or seriously injured by insect 8
tacks; badly fire-scarred trees; croo
ed and large-crOwned shOrt-bOled tire
which will not make good lumber al
which are crowding or overtoppi
others; trees which have been overtc
ped by others and their growth stu
ed; trees Of the less valuable speci
where they are crowding more valuai
ones like beech, black oak, birch, ha
maple, white oak, or white pine; slo
growing trees which are crowding ia
growing species of equal value.
On many farms former pastures ha
become Overgrown with red ced
gray birch, aspen, pine or other tire
The trees came in slowly and thror
neglect were allowed to steal much
the pasture. If fuel Is to be cut sol
where on the farm. such land as t
should be drawn upon first of all {
redeemed by removing all the TT
and restoring the land to grass. A
uncleared corners of fields or pate
OF agricultural land within the Dor
Of the wood lot may be cut clean,
wood used for fuel and the Il
eventually farmed. The expense
clearing is thus largely or entirely
BY the value Of the fuel thus produ'
With the Increased use of wood f
which is likely to continue for sew
E~su n1aanA~ia