The Idaho recorder., 1921-09-16

these -FOUR states enough forest land to supply in
iu,. he needs OF these Industries now stands idle
Concerning the general situation he says:
we are cutting our timber probably four times
as rast as timber Is being grown 1t Is useless to
decry the generous which American Industry
mas made or our forests. 1t has contributed pow
erIuiiy TO the Industrial development and com
merclal supremacy of the United States The for
estry problem does result from the liberal use
OF our forests, but from failure to use our
CORRESPONDING land. There is an ample area of
iand In this country. which is tillable to sup
port nll OF our timber requirements all of our
wood manufactures, all of our home building and
agricultural use of lumber. indeed an even larger
export trade than at present. If that land can be
kept at work growing timber.
"Reforestation has not been taken seriously by
the average business man In the United States
Reforestation has been looked upon as a fad quite
removed from the practical interests of the manu-
facturer, as something more concerned with parks
or shade trees or rose bushes. Nevertheless, re-
forestation has now become commercial neces-
sity of the United States"
Here Is how particular state is affected says
Prof +. s. Loveioy OF the Forestry faculty, Uni
versity of Michigan:
"a third of Michigan virtually is bankrupt, un-
able to pay Its way with schools and roads, get
Ing poorer instead of richer from year year. pro-
ducing less and less of value This third of Mchi-
gan takes 100000 acres or So the most of il
being In the northern part of the Lower Peninsula
the rest In the Upper Peninsula. The bulk of
these bankrupt lands originally In pine for
est. From 1870 to 1900 Michigan led the world
In the quantity, quality and value of It's timber
exports. Today Michigan is tremendous inn
porter of timber and other forest products. This
Is unusual but not In itself proof that anything
Is radically wrong. Ohio. also. was covered
originally with timber and Is now n great i'm
porter, and is. nevertheless. prosperous and thriv.
Ing
"But In the case of Ohio the removal of the
forests was followed promptly by intensive agri.
cultural developments; the land went from
lower to a higher kind of use.
"Michigan-grow hemlock. shipped 200 miles
sells at the same price I'm Detroit does fir grown
on the Pacific coast aud shipped 1000 miles The
hickory for the wheels of Michigan automobiles is
coming from Arkansas and Mississippi The oak
for Grand Rapids furniture is being cut In Loiisi-
and Tennessee. Michigan does not even supply
itself with enough telephone poles and railroad
ties, but imports poles from Idaho and ties from
Virginia. Much of the paper which our news
papers are being printed Is made from Canadsn
spruce. BoS-hoards are being shipped In from
PENNSYLVANIA and Arkansas and California The
state imports much more timber than It cuts and
cuts much more timber than IL grows. consta.fly
grows and cuts less and constantly imports nore.
The freight bill on imported lumber aloue Is
costing Michigan around So.0OO0Oo n wear and
each year the freight bill is due increase great
ly as the sources of supply rccede with the steady
devastation of the forests of the South and West
Meanwhiie Michigan continues support 10000
600 acres ar so Of idle lands which a few Years
ago were producing the most generally useful
kinds of timber the world ever had White pine
lumber practically is out of the market There is
not town OF 5000 In the state which does NOT
import yellow pine from the Gulf states"
Forest nres in the United States annually d.
More than 1Gno0 forest fires have occurred IN
the Cnited States during the past five years. Sc
per cent of when were due 10 human agencies and
therefore preventahle These confiagrations burned
over S69SS"O acres-an area greater than tha,
Included within the states OF Ohio and Pennsvlv,
nia-and destroyed Ss5TooOoo worth of rmhe,
and property.