41 



waterways. It would be unreasonable to claim that deforestation has 

 been the cause of all this, for cultivation of open fields and the extensive 

 underdrainage of level areas has contributed veiy materially to these 

 results. 



Our lumber interests are of sufficient importance to demand our very 

 careful protection. They represent the second largest industry in the 

 State and with the disappearance of the supply of raw material our very 

 large income from them will be seriously curtailed. For many years our 

 timber industries have drawn raw material from the best of our timber 

 resources at a comparatively low price, but now the quality of this material 

 is decreasing and the price increasing. Both of these factors make it 

 diflicult for our manufactm-es to compete with corresponding establish- 

 ments located in timbered districts. To be sure, much of the raw material 

 could be shipped in, and indeed aljont eighty per cent, of it is now im- 

 ported, but this additional cost makes it impossible for our manufac- 

 turers to compete successfully and they are compelled to move to other 

 States. We have already lost some of our important plants to Kentucky. 

 Missouri and Arkansas. 



In 1840 our lumber production (raw material for our factories) 

 amounted to $420,791, in 1877 to $10,791,428, and in 1893 to $18,403,267. 



The last ten years has seen an almost phenomenal increase both in 

 number and variety of Avood industries. More than fifty different kinds 

 of establishments are using wood as their raw material, and to supply this 

 demand timber has been cut without reference to its effect on the land or 

 the State. 



Some interesting and striking facts are discovered from an examina- 

 tion of oiu- fruit crops in connection with the deforestation of our lands. 

 The discoveries are certainly suggestive of a very close relation between 

 the two. 



In 1880 the eleven counties producing the largest yield of apples were 

 as follows: 



Bushels of Acres of 

 Counties. Apples. Forest. 



Allen 1,007,576 108,132 



Crawford 608,043 50,005 



Harrison 610,500 81,807 



Kosciusko 602,462 52.275 



Laporte 617,353 33,457 



