20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



eight in ten years; forty-seven in thirteen years, and fifty-three in 

 fifteen years. 



The author reminds his confreres in the Michigan Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association that the demand for and consumption 

 of northern hardwoods will be constantly on the increase during this 

 period, while the supply will be waning at an alarming rate, and 

 that there is absolutely no way in which this waning supply may 

 be replenished or increased. 



As is well known, Michigan manufacturers cut but one crop of 

 timber from their holdings, as practically all the northern hardwood 

 lands are of agricultural value, and are immediately picked up after 

 the timber is denuded for farming purposes. He alleges that the 

 cost of reforestry in northern hardwoods is prohibitive even if it 

 were practical. In conclusion the writer says: 



' ' Were the manufacturers of northern hardwood lumber practic- 

 ing conservation as they should and as are many of the older 

 European countries, notably Germany, France and the Scandinavian 

 peninsula, they would not be lying awake nights studying the 

 problem of what to do with the lower grades of hardwood lumber 

 so as to get the bare cost to manufacture out of them and they 

 would soon be getting not only more profitable returns from the 

 lumber that they are now sacrificing on the altar of overproduc- 

 tion, but they would also soon be getting profitable returns from 

 that large proportion of the northern hardwood forest that is at 

 present considered not only worthless but a cumbrance to the earth. 



"lour dictionary probably will define the word 'conservation' 

 as the act of preserving or saving an article from loss, waste or 

 damage and we believe that conservation of the northern hard- 

 wood forests should be practiced in the true sense of the term. That 

 is, saved from loss, waste and damage; saved from loss to the 

 owner and manufacturer by cutting only so much as will be used at 

 prices that will return him a profit; saved from waste by holding 

 as large a proportion as possible until such time as there will be a 

 demand for the large proportion that is now wasted at prices that 

 will make it profitable to market it in such form as the demand 

 may require and the prompt cutting of all over-ripe, dead and 

 down timber; saved from damage by elficient protection from fire 

 and such other care and protection as the forests may need. 



"Members of the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association 

 and all holders of northern hardwood stumpage and manufacturers 

 of lumber from these woods owe it to themselves, to their posterity 

 and to humanity generally to practice conservation of the northern 

 hardwood forests. ' ' 



The Season of Forest Fires 



The past month and the ne.xt few months embrace the season 

 of greatest danger from forest fires. Already some severe fire 

 scalds have prevailed, resulting in incalculable damage not only 

 to the area burned but to the surrounding forests. If lumbermen 

 could only be brought to a realization of the immense present and 

 future damage that result.^ from fires they would surely spend 

 more money and exercise more care in carefully ranging all points 

 of danger from fire hazard in their holdings, and also keep their 

 neighboring timber holders "jacked up" to assist to the same 

 end. The chief cause of forest fires is the culpable negligence of 

 farmers and squatters in their clearing of land, the carelessness 

 of hunters and campers in their handling of camp fires. A good many 

 large timber owners who have previously allowed both large and 

 small parties of sportsmen to use their woods for hunting grounds 

 are now wisely refusing this permission, and absolutely prohibiting 

 parties of this sort to go into their forests. It is a matter of 

 eternal vigilance for the timber owner to avoid sustaining irreparable 

 loss by fire devastation. 



It is high time that there was an awakening of every state 

 legislature in the commonwealths where timber areas abound to 

 provide stringent laws against either the culpable or careless start- 

 ing of forest fires, for timber owners and posterity should be pro- 

 tected in this particular. 



It is not only a matter of forest fires but during the last few 



weeks there have been several large lumber, sawmill and planing 

 mill conflagrations that have been the direct result of the extremely 

 dry weather conditions that have prevailed, and a lack of protection 

 in both preventing the starting of fires and their prompt extinguish- 

 ment in their incipient state. 



The cost of eternal care and vigilance is warranted by every manu- 

 facturer and timber owner that this terrible fire loss shall be reduced 

 to a minimum. 



Opening of Forest Products Laboratory 



A gi'eat deal of interest is manifested in the forthcoming open- 

 ing of the Forest Products Laboratory at the University of Wis- 

 consin, at Madison, on Saturday, June 4 next. The attendance of 

 lumber association oificers and members of prominent lumbermen 

 will doubtless be large. 



The program for the morning includes, besides the registration 

 of guests an opportunity for visiting the various departments of 

 the university, an inspection of the laboratory and its equipment 

 and conferences of representatives of various organizations and 

 industries on ways and means of making use of the laboratory. 



The building will be opened for the registration of guests at 

 9:30 a. m. At 10:30 all sections of the laboratory will be open 

 for inspection, during which demonstration work will be in progress. 

 At 11:30 conferences will be held by representatives of various 

 organizations and industries. 



Luncheon will be served in Lathrop Hall between 12:30 and 

 1:45 at the price of seventy-five cents. 



Formal exercises will be held at 2 p. m. in Lathrop Hall. 

 Addresses will be given by Governor Davidson, Dr. Charles R. Van 

 Hise, president of the university; Henry S. Graves, forester United 

 States Department of Agriculture; Captain J. B. White, chairman 

 Committee on Conservation National Lumber Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation; A. C. Hastings, president American Paper and Pulp Associ- 

 ation, and by representatives of other industries. 



The University of Wisconsin has scheduled for June 4 an eight- 

 oared boat race between the Varsity crews of the University of 

 Washington and the University of Wisconsin. This event wUl be 

 held in the late afternoon, if favorable weather conditions prevail, 

 and all visitors will have opportunity to see it. 



The railroad fare from Chicago to Madison is $2.60. Special 

 sleeping cars will be available for the use of those who go from 

 Chicago. The special cars will leave Chicago attached to the regu- 

 lar train at 10:10 p. m., June 3, on the Chicago and Northwestern 

 Railway. On reaching Madison the special cars will be sidetracked 

 and the occupants permitted to remain in them till a convenient hour 

 in the morning. The charge for berths will be $1.50. Arrangements 

 will be made to have breakfast served at a conveniently situated 

 hotel. 



On the return trip the sleeping cars, or parlor ears in their stead, 

 will be attached to the train leaving Madison at 5:30 p. m., and 

 arriving at Chicago at 9:35 p. m. This train carries a dining car. 



Reservations should be made, and railway and Pullman tickets 

 purchased in the regular way in Chicago, from the Chicago and 

 Northwestern Railway. 



Annual National Hardwood Lumber Association 



All the details for the forthcoming annual meeting of the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association, which will be held at the Seelbach 

 Hotel, Louisville, Ky., on Thursday and Friday, June 9 and 10, 

 have been perfected. The meeting is attracting the attention of a 

 large number of hardwood manufacturers and jobbers both within 

 the association and without, and beyond question it will be one of 

 the largest gatherings of lumbermen ever held in the history of 

 the trade. There seems to be a movement on foot for the thorougk 

 discussion of hardwood affairs and more than likely much im- 

 portant legislation will be enacted. 



The Louisville Hardwood Club has arranged for an elaborate 

 program of entertainment, and it goes without saying that the 



