The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-25
TIMBER AS CROP

Whether timber is TO be mined
from our forests, without thought OF
replacement, like coal from our hills.
or whether II is to be considered as
crop to be harvested and grown
like other farm crops is the main
theme OF an article in the 1922 Year
book Of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, entitled Tim
Der: Mine or Crop" The article dis
now confronting the country as A
result of the lack of forestry
policy and the resulting depletion
OF the Nations forests by logging
Operations and fire. Nearly half
the land area of the United States.
some S22,000,0 900 acres, was origin
ally forested, says the article. but
the forested area has now been re
duced to 13S,000,000 acres of virgin
forest, $50 100000 acres of compar-
atively inferior culled and second
growth. and S1,000,000 acres of bar
rem land. a total of slightly less than
40, 100000 acres. Largely through
timber mining" it continues. "the
reduced from more than $500 bill
lion feet of virgin timber and 600
billion feet additional in culled and
second growth stands. Seventy
five per cent of the remaining viz
gin timber is west of the Great
Plains, and more than so per cent
Of all our. remaining saw timber Is
in the three Pacific Coast States,
while nearly half of the lumber cut
is consumed in the region east OF
the Mississippi River and north of
the Ohio and Potomac Rivers.
Lumber producing and consuming
100000 annually in lumber
freight" Ire article traces the
SHIFTING of the timber industry from
the East to the Middle West and
South. and then to the West. The
necessity for vigorous reforestation
and for the conservation of our re :
naming forests is emphasized since,
according to the article, the avail
able timber supply of the United
States is being consumed about four
times as fast as it is being replaced
Copies Of the yearbook separate con
tanning this article may be secured
to the Division of Publications
United States Department of Agri
culture, Washington, D. c.. as lons
as the supply lasts. Ask for Tim
Der: Mine or Crop?"
Friday, June 20. has been ap-
pointed Cattle Feeders Day at
| University Farm. st. Paul. The
third annual program of the uni
| versity's division of animal hus-
bandry will be presented at the
livestock pavilion, beginning at
| 1890 a. m. on that day Sixty
Shorthorn steer CALVES have
been fed experimentally in six
lots of ten calves each on six
different rations. the purpose
being to fatten the calves for
| baby beef Results OF this ex-
pertinent will be announced
and discussed by Profs. w. H.
Peters and A. l.. Harvey Of the
division of animal husbandry
under whose direction the work
has been done. Visitors will
have opportunity to inspect the
cattle and study the effect upon
them Of the different rations
used. A financial statement will
show all costs and profits re-
sulting from the different lots.
The forenoon will be spent in
inspecting the cattle and listen
ing TO discussions on market
conditions by men prominently
identified with the marketing Of
live stock. At 1890 p. m. a
real corn fed roast beef dinner
will be served at the college
cafeteria. Several speakers
will be announced later for the
| afternoon program when beef