Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-06
Forest Experimental Station Is South Need
FORESTS MUST be BUILT
UP As GREAT RESERVOIRS
Present Area of Virgin Tim.
Der in South Is 23,500,-
900 Acres.
CREST OF PRODUCTION PASSES
Waste Forest Lands Total 10000, 900
AcrcS-Fl0ridn Citrus lndustr, Ap-
prehenstvc nv to SOuth'a Lumber
supply for Boxcs.

WASHINGTON. Nov. '5.-Forests Of
nc South. from which is passing the
leadership in the naval stores indus
ry and whose mammoth production
|lt yellow pine and other splendid
imbcrs 81 lcssening yearly. need ac-
Ion on the part of the Federal gov
|:rnment TO bring back their old time
supremacy ana build them up as res
rvors of timber for American homes
Fnnd Industry. So says the Forest
Service, United States Department OF
agriculture. in 4 report recommend
ns the general cnlarg cement of the
pew Southern forest experiment sta
non. This station Is one of an ulti-
rate scri.S OF ten - cover the needs
of the entire country.
Why the Southern pine belt needs
such n station is set forth in detail
as follows:
Hcnsons fer Establishing n StntIon.
The i.E:nal Southern pine forcs:a
occupied l.5.ooo,oo0 to l3o.ooo.o0o
acres.
The present area OF virgin timber
3 only 23.50e.000 acres.
The present area OF waste forest
-Four -nfths OF the original ESQ.,
l 0o.0oo,00o feet have been cut since
1870 chiefly since 1890.
The normal pine cut has been 49,
900 ,O00,000 out OF total of 10000
100000 feet for the United States.
but the crest or production has al
READY been passed.
Other sections of the United States
[arc even more Interested than the
South In continued production. since
itwo-thirds or more of the total cut
the main source OF supply to the
great Eastern and Middle Western
|Inarkeis
"Ry 1880 Increased local demands
| pr omlsc TO take all Of the decreased
|cut leaving the rest of the country
dependent upon the Pacific Coast.
The Florida citrus industry. which
CONSUMES 100000 boxes annually
land liz planning to treble Its output
| in ten years, liz apprehensive as to the
future and Is considering California
as @ source OF wood supplies.
The naval stores industry OF the
United States. whose production is
|still so per cent OF that Of the entire
world. In spite Of n decrease OF 80
per cent or more during the past
twenty years, Will within ten years
supply no more than American re-
|Quirements.
World leadership In navai-stores
production is passing to the artificial
|ly established maritime forests OF
France.
Less investigative work has been
done In the South than in any other
important timber region. That done.
as in most Eastern regions. has been
general In character. and the time
has come when little more can be ac-
ccmplished except by the intensive
Investigations possible at forest
experiment station.
"An adequately manned and
equipped forest experiment station is
needed In the Southern pine belt to
show how To bring back into produc-
ton 100000 acres OF waste forest
land and how to increase production
on 100000 acres additional. which
for the most part is at present grow
Ing much less than 1t should.
"a station is needed to develop
methods OF cutting, which Will keep
2s.5Oo.oo0 acres OF virgin pine stand
fully productive.
Fire Protection Needed.
TN addition to the solution of the
problem of artificial reforcstation. and
the Developments of methods of cut
ting which will insure natural re-
production. II must develop effective
methods for the care and protection
of young stands from fire. Methods
must be worked out, which viii per-
init grazing in connection with timber
growing.
Better practices In turpentininG
must be developed to permit maxi
mum yields of naval stores with the
minimum Of damage to growing
stands. Data on the growth and
yields OF different species under diff
ferent conditions will be needed by
all forest owners. The work of ;hn
station should be, In short, to cover
all the problems involved in the man
agement OF the forests from the seed
ling to the mature stand. Similar
work is also necessary in the cypress
and hardwood forests OF the Gulf
States"