MARJLW ClO U record 



31 



stances, through the increased local development of their sections, 

 and also through the establishment of consuming plants, such as floor- 

 ing factories, in their immediate vicinity, taking a large part of the 

 No. 1 and Xo. 2 common production. 



The schedule furnished by a timberman who recently cut nearly 

 a million feet of oak in western Kentucky by means of portable 

 sawmills may be interesting to those who like to see how costs work 

 out under the old system. He arranged matters so that it cost him 

 $12 a thousand to get the lumber from the tree to the wharf on the 

 Ohio river where it was loaded for delivery to the buyer, who pur- 



chased it f. 0. b. the steamboat. The charges were divided as fol- 

 lows: Cutting, $1; log-hauling, $2; sawmill, $4; hauling lumber, $5. 

 •Tudging from this statement, the sa^vmill man with an investment 

 of a few hundred dollars in equipment can make a pretty tidy profit 

 on his business, especially when it is remembered that he has no 

 worries as to buying the timber, logging it or selling the product, 

 but simply cuts the logs into lumber as they are brought to him. 

 There are some of the big commercial mills which would like to work 

 on the same kind of basis if it were possible. 



G. D. C, Je. 



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U. S. Forester s Annua) Report S 



The annual report of Henry S. Graves, chief of the Forest 

 Service, has been published. It covers the fiscal year ending June 

 30, 1912, and contains much that is of interest to lumbermen and 

 those who are concerned with forests, though it deals principally 

 ■with government land. 



The net area of all the national forests in the United States is 

 138,350,928 acres, and in addition Alaska has 26,643,260 acres, and 

 Porto Eico 32,975. 



The whole force employed to care for this forest area and the 

 business connected with it is 2,895 persons. These include super- 

 visors and deputies with headquarters in the "forests; rangers and 

 guards who do the patrolling and lookout work; and examiners, 

 assistants, lumber and mining experts, hunters, and clerks. 



The money appropriated by Congress for the year 1912, and 

 that received from other sources, totaled $6,540,861.31. The total 

 «xpenditure for all purposes from the years 1900 to 1910, both 

 inclusive, was $18,712,181.03. 



It is shown that the annual growth of timber on the national 

 forests is, or would be if properly eared for, 6,000,000,000 feet, 

 board measure. That much could be cut every year for all time, 

 by taiing mature timber only, and leaving the rest to grow. At 

 the present rate of stumpage this would give a gross return of 

 -$15,000,000 yearly. 



There are national forests in twenty states, the largest amount 

 of land being in California, second largest in Idaho, and third in 

 Montana. The smallest area is in Xorth Dakota, second in Okla- 

 homa. 



The report shows how attempts are frequently made by private 

 parties to obtain valuable timberlands and water power sites by 

 means of fraudulent mining claims, and by other methods. If 

 the land is valuable for mining purposes, or for agricultural pur- 

 poses, the law makes it easy for an honest claimant to obtain it; 

 but the fraudulent claimant, who attempts to obtain valuable 

 timber by crooked means, finds many difficulties in the way. 



It is estimated that the total stand of timber in all the national 

 forests, including those of Alaska, is equivalent to 597,478,000,000 

 feet, board measure. Approximately 348,000,000,000 is mature 

 and over mature, therefore, ready to cut. Much of this is deterior- 

 ating through natural decay, fire, and insect attacks. It is the 

 announced policy to increase sales as rapidly as possible until they 

 reach 3,000,000,000 feet a year. It is the intention to sell in larger 

 amounts than formerly so that strong companies can afford to take 

 hold, build the necessary roads and mills, and get remote tracts 

 of timber out. 



During the year 1912 the Forest Service sold 799,416,000 feet 

 of standing timber, of the value of $1,600,773.55. The purchasers 

 cut during the year 431,492,000 feet, valued at $942,819.21. Some 

 of these sales were for very small amounts. The total sales, 

 were 5,772, and of these 5,179 were for less than $100 worth of 

 timber. It is thus shown that the most numerous buyers of gov- 

 ernment timber are settlers in the localities, who need a little 

 for sheds, fences, and other ranch purposes. Only forty-five sales 

 were for more than $5,000 each. A little figuring will show that 



the government is not selling more than one-eighth of the timber 

 that grows yearly. It can increase its sales eight-fold and still 

 take only as much as grows from year to year. 



In addition to sales in large and small amounts, large quantities 

 were given away, under a provision of law, for the purpose of 

 helping poor people who need it and cannot afford to buy it, or to 

 help miners develop their property, or stockmen build corrals. The 

 total number of such permits was 38,749, the number of feet 123,- 

 233,000, valued at $196,335.41. In Alaska, where it is difficult in 

 remote regions to procure permits, the people — ^prineipallj' miners 

 — are allowed by law to take small quantities for local use, without 

 permits. 



The total area of government forest burned in the year was 

 469,638 acres, with an estimated destruction of 117,174,000 feet 

 of timber. It is of interest to know that 76,301 trees were struck 

 by lightning in the national forests during the year and many 

 fires were started. 



About 30,000 acres were reforested by planting trees during the 

 year. Preparations were made for much greater planting work. 

 One such station collected 11,547 sacks of pine and fir cones. 



The Forest Service is conducting investigations in Colorado to 

 determine the effect of forest cover on stream flow. The investi- 

 gation will need to be continued for a considerable period before 

 definite conclusions can be announced; but already it seems 

 assured that the results will show that the forest has a direct and 

 positive influence in regulating flow in a way to lessen excessive 

 floods and mitigate water scarcity. 



Grazing stock in the national forests is an important industry. 

 Formerly, when stockmen fought over the ranges, and the best 

 gun fighter got the best range, the forests were greatly damaged by 

 excessive grazing. That has now ceased. Pasturage is equitably 

 apportioned among the various applicants, and ground is not 

 excessively grazed. The change has greatly benefited the stock 

 industry, and at the same time has improved the condition of the 

 forest pastures. During the year the stock grazed under permit 

 was: Cattle and horses 1,801,678; hogs 57,815; sheep and goats 

 8,502,816. 



The Forest Service employs professional hunters to run Oown, 

 shoot, trap, kill, and destroy the predatory animals which destroy 

 sheep and other grazing stock. In some localities the attacks of 

 wild animals were so frequent and fierce that sheep could not be 

 kept, and even hogs and cattle were killed. The wild animals 

 consisted of grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, mountain lions, 

 wildcats, lynxes, and coj'otes. The hunters have made encouraging 

 inroads upon the marauders, and seem to be gaining the mastery. 

 In 1911 they killed 7,971 predatory animals, and in 1912 the total 

 was 6,082. 



Heretofore, all the national forests have been in the West, 

 except small areas in Michigan and Florida; but under the Weeks 

 law, land has been and will be purchased in New England and in 

 the Appalachian mountains south of Pennsylvania for national 

 forests. Much of this land will lie in hardwood regions. The total 

 area acquired under the Weeks law to date is 257,228 acres. It is 



