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this basis and rule, the whole available lumber of our State will be con- 

 sumed and destroyed in twenty years, instead of forty. 



We must also take into consideration, in this connection, the fact that 

 we are now just entering upon an era of active public improvements, all 

 requiring the use of heavy timber and lumber. 



The building of railroads, bridges, warehouses, wharves, factories, bulk- 

 heads and the timbering of mines, will probably consume ten times as 

 much lumber within the next twenty years as has been consumed for 

 these purposes in the past twenty. The building and equipping of rail- 

 roads may be considered a new and special element in the increased con- 

 sumption of lumber, as this business in our State has really but just com- 

 menced. 



One of the worst features of the settlement of new countries by 

 Americans is the useless and criminal destruction of timber. In our 

 State this reckless and improvident habit has been indulged in to an 

 unprecedented extent. 



Thousands upon thousands of the noblest and most valuable of our 

 forest trees in the Sierra Nevada districts have been destroyed without 

 scarcely an object or a purpose, certainly with no adequate benefit to 

 tho destnxver or to any one else. This practice cannot be condemned in 

 too severe terms ; it cannot be punished with too severe penalties. 



TIMBER NORTH AND SOUTH. 



South of California, on the Pacific coast, there is but very little timber 

 or wood of any description. The Pacific South American States are, in 

 fact, dependent on us, and the coast States north of us, for nearly all 

 their lumber. They have been drawing heavily from these sources to 

 rebuild their wharves and public works destroyed by the earthquakes of 

 eighteen hundred and sixty-eight. On the north, Oregon, British pos- 

 sessions and Alaska are generally well timbered. We have, for the past 

 five 3 r ears, been obtaining large quantities of lumber from these countries, 

 and now that the Central Pacific Railroad has advanced the freight on 

 lumber from our own mountains fifty per cent, over former prices, our 

 trade in this direction will still increase. 



While these countries contain a large supply of very excellent timber, 

 this supply is by no means exhaustless. At this time almost the whole 

 world is drawing its supply of heavy timber from the Northern Pacific 

 coast. 



England, France, Australia, China, Japan, South America, Mexico and 

 the Sandwich Islands are all, more or less, engaged in securing their 

 wants for ship building and other heavy works from these valuable 

 forests. With the heavy drafts on these countries, added to their home 

 consumption, it is not probable that the supply will hold out much longer 

 than that of our own State. 



HARD TIMBER. 



In the above statements and estimates, we have only taken into 

 account such timber as is fitted for building and for lumber for general 

 purposes. As to hard wood, fit for wheelwright purposes and agricultu- 

 ral and other machinery, we may say there is none of it on this coast. 

 We have always either imported the machinery or tho material to make 

 it of, from the Atlantic States. For ornamental work we have a limited 

 supply, the California laurel being very superior. 



