New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-17
FORESTS VANISH
IN LAKE STATES
GLOOMY REPORT MADE TO THE
SENATE ON WISCONSIN, MICH.
IGAN AND MINNESOTA.
LUMBER PRODUCTION FALLS
White Pine Nearly Al Gene and the
Quality Also DecIines-HemIock and
Hardwood Timber Are Now Being
Cut Rapidly.
BY M p.

Cut Rapidly.
BY JAMES p. HORkADAY.
Washlngton.-Out of a total orig
inal forest area of approximately 112.-
100000 acres, the lake states have
little, il any, more than 24.OOO,OO0
acres; an original white-pine stand
600 board feet has been reduced to s.
0O0,000,0 900 board feet; the stand Of
timber suitable for lumber is being
cut more than three times as rapidly
as 1t Is grown; I'm another decade the
per capita consumption of lumber in
the lake states must either fall from
800 to nearly 200 board feet per year,
or nearly one-third of the lumber
needed for home use must be import
ed. These are the outstanding facts
regarding the lake states contained
In a report or 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. respec-
lively. Wisconsin now produces less
white pine than the secOnd-growth cut
of either Maine or New Hampshire /;
and Michigan, which from 1870 to
1895 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 a little
more than S,9O0,O00,0O0 board feet
largely white pine, according to the
report. In 1918 the nj had fallen to
3,202. 5000 board feet, of which only
80 per cent was white pine. As the
cut dwindled, white pine lumber vent
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 t%wo-thirds or more
of the cut is box lumber. Only small
scattered remnants of the old-growth
white pine forests remain in Wiscon-
sin and upper Michigan, while in low
err Michigan the most widely known
tract overs about 100 acres.
As the higher grades of white pine
became scarce, hemlock, which was
once considered worthless, began to
compete with the lower grades Of pine
that we're introduced. Hardwoods
also began to be In demand and their
point where they are cut not only for
lumber but for such other purposes as
chemical dlstillation, charcoal, etc.
The depletion Of commercial timber
peninsula Of Michigan, where proba,
bly, not much over half a million acres
of hardwoOds and hemlock remain. the
report states. Out Of hundreds of
large sawmllls that ono operated In
that section, there were In 1919 only
about As that cut n million board
feet apiece. Within five years there
will hardly be half a dozen large mills
left.
In Wisconsin and the upper PENN
sula of Michigan the situation Is bet
ter. II Is estimated that there are
about 4,0O0,0OO acres of timberland In
upper Michigan and 2,OOO.0O0 in Wis
consin, with a total merchantable
stand Of at least 4S,O 00,O00.OO0 feet.
All things considered. II is doubt.
full II there will be any appreci.
able amount of timber left Ia COM
mercial holdings in Wisconsin ut the
end Of 20 years. In upper Michigan
the stand will last considerably longer
Conditions in Minnesota.
In Minnesota, timber conditions diff
fer widely from those In Wisconsin
and Michigan. In that 81 per cent of
the cut in 1918 was white pine, while
In Wisconsin So per cent Of the cut
was hardwoods and hemlock. The
Minnesota state forester recently es
timated that there were II, 450.OOO,OOt
board feet of soft woods in the state
OF this amount Al per ent is white
and Norway pine, 17h per n is
lack pine, - per cent n spruce. bal
sam and cedar. and 17h per cent is
tamarack. The tamarack, which has
haap nfdaIv uspd for hpwpd Tics has
practically been killed by the larch
sawfiy and must be salvagcd soon, II
al all. The pine forests Of Minnesota,
the report points out. have been thor.
oughly culled of their BEST material,
and the production now runs heavily
to box lumber.
II is estimated that the lumber cut
of the lake states for the next five
and ten years from the commercial
tracts will be about as follows:
Present annual cut $500. 100000
Estimated cut, 1925 .....2.400.OO0.OOC
Estimated cut, 1890. 1,SOO.O cocoon
Ii is pointed out that. as the cut
from the commercial stands decreases
the cut from farm woodlots, cutover
areas. etc, may be expected TO in
crease In proportion TO the total cut
though not in actual amount.
Conferences in Marion.
Both Republicans and Democrats
will be consulted by P~resident-el.ct