The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-12-16
FORESTS VANISH
IN LAKE STATES
GLOOMY REPORT MADE TO THE
SENATE ON WISCONSIN, MICH
IGAN AND MINNESOTA.
LUMBER PRODUCTION FALLS
White Pine Nearly All Gone and the
Quality Also Dcclines-HemIock and
Hardwood Timber Are Now Being
Cut Rapidly
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.

maj forest area OF approximately H.
100000 acres, the lake states now have
little, if any, more than 24OO0,O0O
acres; an original white-pine stand
estimated at not less than 35O,0O00OO,-
600 board feet has been reduced to s.
0O000O,0OO board feet the stand of
timber suitable for lumber is being
cut more than three times as rapidly
MS it is grown; in another decade the
per capita consumption OF lumber In
the lake states must either fail from
300 to nearly 200 board feet per year,
or nearly one-third of the lumber
needed for home use must he import
ed. These are the outstanding facts
regarding the lake states contained
IN report on timber conditions of the
country made TO the United States
senate by the forest service.
Wisconsin, Michigan and Mime
sofa, which in 1899 were the three
leading states in point of lumber pro-
duction, had in 1913 fallen to eighth,
thirteenth and eleventh places, rcspec-
lively. Wisconsin now produces less
white pine than the second growth cut
of either Maine or New Hampshire;
and Michigan, which from 1870 to
1898 produced more lumber than any
other state in the Union, actually cuts
less than half as much white pine as
Massachusetts.
Quantity and Quality Decline.
The peak of lumber production in
the lake states was passed in 1892,
when the reported output was little
more than S,9OOOOOOOO board feet
largely white pine, according to the
report In 1913 the cut had fallen to
1902, 100000 board feet, of which only
80 per cent was white pine. As the
cut dwindlcd, white pine lumber went
down both in quality and quantity;
and Norway and jack pine, and even
tamarack, were admitted as lower
grades Of northern pine lumber"
The fine old timber which gave white
pine its reputation is now nearly all
gone. In Minnesota two-thirds or more
Of the cut is box lumber. Only small
- & u ,,
,,.,i+, ,.i,,.. 60 ...,.. ~,
sin and upper Michigan, while in low
er Michigan the most widely known
tract covers about 100 acres.
As the higher grades of white pine
became scarce hemlock, which was
onca cons,1orod ,,.ortI,lo., na,,a., -
comnate with tho lou.or rodos o. nina
tbot ware ir+rod,ood IIor,,,.aa,,..
also hogan to he in donond and thoir
utilization has now nrorresSod - =
noint ,cbera thov arc crt NOT or,,, for
lumber but for spch Other nnrnosos nc
chemical distuIotfon charcoal az
The denletion of cor,mnrciol tin,hor
has proceeded furthast IN tho lo,vor
peninsuIa of Aricbjcon whore rrono.
bIv NOT much over hoIf million ocros
of hardwoods and bemlock remain the
report states Out of bundrods of
large sawmills TINT onca ororotod IN
that section. there were IN 1910 on,v
about A TINT emf ono million hoord
feet apiece Within five vaors tbsra
VIII hardly he holf n dozen Iorca Mills
left
In Wisconsin ana fbe rnpor rorin-
sula of Micbipan tho situotion is hot.
fer. If Is estimated tbot thoro ara
obolt i GOO OOO ocrne az t,p,hn,,l,nd f.,
upnnr NIicbigan and . 0O0 noo IN WE.
consin with = ,ot,l mercbo,tobro
stond of ot Iooet a. Ooo ooo ono root
Am things considorod Il &c dorlt
frI 70 tbore viu no or, o,nraoi
mile amount Of thinner lori IN co,,.
mercioI hordince +, W,sco,,st,, a. tho
nnd of On voore In unnor NIiohi,,o,
tbe stand win last considcrohry. Ioncor
condi+iors f., m;,n.eo.a
In Minnesota timber cord,tions arc
Cor WILDLY, from thoso a. v,-ao,a,u
md Nicbicon IN not al nor oont 20
the ont in 1918 was white nino u,hua
IN Wisconsin s5 nor oon+ ~ n,o a,,.
voe hordu.oods and ho,,,oa,. ,,,,a
minnesota stoto foroston ,aaa,4,..
t,notod tbot thoro ,.oro ~ t5n 400 noo
hoord foot ~ eoft ,vnoIs f., ,hn ,,,a.a
ar tbis orornt Al nor oomt ,a ,, ',',,'
ma Norvoy pinn IN nor oont 70
iocL, nine "a mon cont +, s,,.,,oa 49,.
sop, ana codor and III nor oor, =,
pc''i "'ue'S uSeu LOT he"eu tIes' nae
las Il W.Is