[U^^ 



Ohio as a Woodlot State 



i4i^^iii1 



The donUroio-.-lBt Mu.ll.ii Ihi- wo<>.llot wllli a vU-w to »lmt will liu|.iJ.n in a liuuilr.d j.ur». .i;x|..rl.uc<- In 

 olJ<T coiiDirli'S hiiH Hhown (lint hln calciilntloDit work out with prccUlon nluio«i miilhrinntlciill.r cirrocl. Tin- wood- 

 ini .lU.Miilon IS •ioiii.wlial ilKr.nni In ililx country nl Ibo |)r.«nt llinc. In ninny InmnniM. iIiIukh iiro liapprnlnK 

 noiv iiKl tlirn I-. IH> IK < il >>r II »iilt .1 iriii;: n louK lirrlud at yi'nrn. That la hi-rnuM' mokl nf tin- farniiTu' nundloli 

 ,, ' rf HtnndlnK whi'n thi- iiurroundlnR fon'HH »<ri- ih^nr'-d. They dlffrr lo 



,,' • '.r rounlrli'«. Tlii' older miili-ii urc coveri'd with i-uch loin. Ilki' cra«y 

 iii'd nnlchrs U brKinnIng lo hnvc nn Influence u|Min the couDtry'H lutn- 

 '.' i.ipldly aa yporn ko by. The rullowini: nrtlile i;liiiire» very brielly, nnd 

 ,,,/ Ml nubject In Dhio, whore woodloLi iiro fdlrly well <|ellniKl. 



Korostors wi.v that iu yours lo como the couutry'B timber supply nmiiy logs, thirtoeu years ago, were rafted down rivers from Kou 



IN ill be cut largely from farmers' woodlots. Tho wild stands of lucky and West Virginia to Ohio roills to be sawed. When sawod, 



nes will have been cut, and tho people will depend upon timber tho lumber was credited to Ohio. Logs are not now imported in 



liich will be grown under care somewhat like that given to so large numbers, but whether that accounts for tho fifty per cent 



rcbards. Only those kinds which pay best will bo allowed to decline in tho lumber output when the cut of 1912 is compared 



I upv tho ground. "''*'' 1899, cannot bo positively stated. There is no doubt that 



If the country is considered as a whole, that condition is still some of the decline may bo so accounted for. 



i.ir in the future; yet in certain areas it is almost at hand. In that It is possible to approach a little nearer the woodlot situation 



respect particular attention might be directed to Ohio. It in Ohio by leaving all softwoods out of consideration, since only 



is probably farther along toward tho woodlot condition than any small quantities of such grow in that state. The dealing may be 



other hardwood state and an examination of tho timber business only with such others as are produced in substantial amounts in 



there can be made with ad\antage. Ohio. In doing this, tho reliable data of 1906, 1909, and 1912 may 



The original forests of Ohio contained as fine hardwoods as grew be used to show that there is apparently not much decline from 



lu any part of America. There were many kinds, and every kind year to year in state-grown lumber. The figures which are given 



grew to perfection. It is not necessary to describe the processes in the following table are from government reports: 



by which most of that timber has disappeared; suffice it that farms Lumber Cot by Species in Ohio— Feet 



have taken much of the areas where trees once grew; and at species 1000 1909 1912 



present there arc no large forest tracts, if they are compared with oak 244.07.1.000 259.410.000 222.704.0O9 



tho former wooded areas. The remaining patches and strips are Yellow poplar D8.:i.-.8.000 42..117,000 49,583.000 



mo lormcr «ouuiu ,u f„ „„,, f,„„i„h tho hnme Elm 29.0.'-.8.000 33.182.000 28.908.000 



scattered among and bet .-een the farms, and furnish the home ^^^^^^ 2:5.071.000 43.8.'-.2.000 40.7.10.000 



supply of lumber. Ash 21..3.'i0.000 25.7.35.000 20.100.000 



The condition prevailing there is typical of what much of the Hickory l.'i.8.'ifl.000 21.774,000 20,727.000 



former wooded areas of the country are coming to, if tho forestry Basswood 12.718.000- 10.007.000 14.920.000 



prophets have not incorrectly read the signs of the times Largo «oec.^._. ................ .... S.-.OOO 49.421.000 41.893.000 



wooded areas in solid blccks will furnish less and less of tho lum- j^^,^^^ walnut .-,.479.000 S.iiSO.OOO 8,.''.0R.00O 



ber as the years go by, and what is commonly called the farmer's Cottonwood 1.414.000 2,044,000 2,444,000 



woodlot must furnish proportionately more. ^^^^^^^ 428,742.000 519.040.000 480.800.000 



W0ODIX)T DEFINED jjO DECLINE SHOWN 



The term "farmer's woodlot," as it is commonly used, means a ~ ^. . ■ r u ii-. 1. »,„, 



' _ „v,inU A summary of the foregoing figures shows no decline in lumber 



tract of timber, of no definite size, but presumably small, which , , . ^^ , a., , 1 r » 1 „ii „ 



'" ' , ..^ , ' ., 1 ii,„f n,„ cut during the past seven years. The eleven woods listed all grow 



belonizs to some farm. It does not necessarily mean that the ._,.,,; , , ^, ,. „ j, 1. ,1 . a » 



oeioufcs lu Buuii. ia J „„„:,.„„ „„ in Ohio woodlots and make up the bulk of such woodlots. As far 



timber has been plantt d like an orchard, or that it receives as ,, - ui r • ^ * »• .^1 



iiuiutr uaa uw J, i ^^ ^^^ figures are capable of interpretation, they are encouraging, 



much care as cultivated fields. It may be no more or less than a " .,..,,., ^, . . . , ,. -^ . 1 u 



muLu tare as Luiti.aucu J _ because they indicate that Ohio -s now holding its own in lumber 



piece of original forest which the owner is permit ing to stand for ^J ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ decreasing, 



the present, under the belief that he will need it later. ^^ ^^^ ^^ .^ .^ ^^^ .^ ^^^^^^^ 



The Ohio woodlots are o that kind. Nature planted the tree ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ .^ ^^^ ^^ ^^.^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^.^^ .^ ^ ^^^^^ .^ 



and the owner has siaply let them grow, cutting a few now and . , . , . u. 1 ^ 1 .j t« 1 r 



auu Liie u». f J a f o ^ period too short for a basis on which to decide. If no decline 



then for his own use cr to sell ^, , , . , is apparent at the end of a good many years to come, it will be 



How much lumber are the Ohio woodlots supplying now! i^' ^ ,, , ., „. 1> .. u * * ■,. ■ 



" , . . ^. 1 « *i, i„ „^. accepted as proof that the woodlots grow the timber as fast as it is 



How nearly docs that supply meet the needs of the people ot \„, , , . , ■ ^ ^ ^ j n 



now uedri> uuls i ai, » j j- ,, r r ^^^ That may be the case now, but it cannot be proved. However, 



the state! ,,,,,, , •„ 1 r j f it should not be difficult for Ohio's woodlots to grow more timber 



How far is it probable that future needs will be supplied from . , ,, , , mi. ui t 



no« lar is yiuua k. rr ^^^^ j^ ^^^^ being cut from them as lumber. They are capable of 



the same source? doing it. If they are not accomplishing that now, the first step 



Some parts of these questions may be answered from existing , , ". ,.,.,, ,.. u , , . ^ ^ . 1 » lu _. 1 ». 



ouuic i^a L= o M J ^ . , , J »i „ to bring about that result should be to get rid of the weed-trees, 



data, but other portions of the answers must be deferred until more , . , " „ .. . ., , , V, . , . .lv • 



aaia, uui oii.t-r jju.nuus y, which are of little account for lumber, and put good ones in their 



information shall become available. .^ q,^. ^^^ ^,^^ elsewhere, when a 



One of the first matters to be considered is whether Ohio's lum- ' ., » it „ • i- „„„ii«f„ ti.,n »,« 



, ,, ,. , - XL 11 I ■ 1.1, t 1. farmer will no more tolerate weed-trees in his woodlots than he 



ber output is being wholy supplied from the woodlots in the state, 1 . .. ri, . t 



ucr uuijiut .= ui, „ J ff ^yj]j jiiio^ ordinary weeds in his cornfields in .lunc. 



or partly from outside regions; and the next question for answer •" 



is, whether the cut is keeping up or falling back. A definite Is the Supply AdequateT 



answer can be given to the last question if the period under con- An important question demands an answer: Are Ohio's woodlots 



sideration extends far enough into the past. The lumber cut in now furnishing as much lumber as the people of the state needt 



Ohio for 1912 was almost exactly half what it was in 1899. Fifty The answer is a short no. They are furnishing only a little more 



per cent decline in thirteen years looks serious. But, before too than half enough. The balance comes from the outside. The total 



much seriousness is attributed to the situation, the other question cut in the state at the last census was 499,834,000 feet, but that 



should be considered: How much of the timber sawed in 1899 by used by factories alone, not including what was used in its rough 



Ohio miUs grew in Ohiot form, was 91,i,272,3C9 feet. If that employed in the rough, such as 



Imports op Loos fences, barns, and bridges, were added, it would doubtless bo found 



A definite answer to the question cannot be given. Statistics of that Ohio's woodlot tracts are not meeting more than one-third of 



imports of logs were not kept. It is well known, however, that the demand for lumber to supply the state. 



