The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-08-26

these four states enough forest land to supply in
iu the needs of these Industries now stands idle.
Concerning the general situation he says:
We are cutting timber probably four times
as fast as timber is being grown. 1t is useless to
decry the generous which American industry
mas made of our forests. 1t has contributed pow
erfully to the industrial development and com
merc1al supremacy of the United States. The for
estry problem does not result from the liberal
OF our forests but from our failure to use our
forest-growing land There is ample of
land in this country, which is not tillable. to sup
port NIL OF timber requirements, all Of
wood manufactures, all of our home building and
agricultural use of lumber indeed even larger
export trade than at present II 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 fad quite
removed from the practical interests of the manu-
facturer, something more concerned with parks
shade trees bushes. Nevertheless re-
forestation has now become commercial neces-
sity Of the United States"
Here is how particular state is affected says
Prof. P. s. Lovejoy 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 to year pro-
ducing less and less of value This third of Michi-
gan takes 100000 acres or so, the most OF 1t
being in the northern part Of the Lower Peninsula
the rest In the Upper Peninsula. The bulk Of
these bankrupt lands were originally in pine for
est. From 1870 to 1900 Michigan led the world
in the quantity quality and value of its timber
exports Today Michigan Is tremendous i'm
porter of timber and other forest products. This
is unusual but in itself proof that anything
is radically wrong. Ohio, also was covered
originally with timber and is now a great I'M
porter, and is nevertheless, prosperous ana thriV-
ing
sRut in the case Of Ohio the removal of the
forests was followed promptly by intensive agri-
cultural developments; the land went from a
lower to a higher kind OF use
eNcbiean-grown hemlock, shipped 200 miles,
sells at the price in Detroit as does mr. grown
on the Pacific coast and shipped 1000 miles, Inc
hickorv for the wheels of Michigan automobiles is
coming from Arkansas and Mississippi Ihe OAK
for Grand Rapids furniture is being cut In Louisi-
ana and Tennessee. Michigan does not even supply
itself with enough telephone poles and raiiroad
ties but imports poles from Idaho ana ties from
VIRGINIA Mich of the paper on which our news
papers are being printed is made from Canaaian
spruce Box-boards are being shipped IN from
PENNSYLVANIA and Arkansas and Cailforhia. Inc
state imports much more timber than IL cuts anu
cuts much more timber than 1t grows, constantly
crows and cuts less and constantly imports more
"rbe freight bill on imported lumber alone Is
COSTING Nicbipan around $2.O00,000 year, and
each year the freight bill is due to increase great
y as the sources of supply recede with the steaus
devastation of the forests or the South anu @ "es'
Neanwhila Michigan continues to support lOOoo-
600 acres or so of idle lands which a few years
ago were producing the most generally useiu,
kinds of timber the world ever had. Whlte pine
lumber practically is out of the market ihere y
nor a town of 5000 in the state wmcn uoes ho'
in,ror+ o,Io,v nine from the Gulf states
Forest fires in the United States annuaily de
strov more than 2OOOO000O0 feet Of timber
More than 100000 forest fires have occurred IL IL
the United States during the PAST nVe Yeats o. Q.
u, to hrIma
therefore preventable These confagrations burnee
over SO, ,4ss, 900 acres-an area greater than tha
included within the states OF Ohio and fennsyiVa
inland destroyed $s57ooOOo worth OF timber
and property.