1905 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 161 



mansions not having been so exten- area, and is more intensive lumbering 



sively cut. As a consequence there is than in any of the big timber States, 



a great deal of small spruce and bal- Wisconsin being next with 175 board 



sam on cut-over land. The region is feet per acre. 



admirably suited for continued tim- In relative importance in New 



ber production, and owing to its in- Hampshire the lumber industry stands 



accessibility forest fires are not severe, third, the paper industry fifth. From 



Until 1896 the greater part of the July I, 1902 to June 30, 1903 the total 

 Mountain region was owned by the amount of wood cut in the northern 

 State. Since then the State has sold 562,000 board feet, of which 82.5 

 large and small tracts at nominal per cent., or 225,747,000 board feet 

 prices, until today all the forest land was spruce. In the same year the 

 is in private ownership most of it paper and pulp mills used 109,- 

 held by large lumber and pulp com- 041 cords of native spruce and 

 panics. These companies are making 87.859 cords of Canadian spruce, 

 formidable inroads upon the forests. The pulp companies are each year im- 

 Seven companies own nearly all the porting spruce in order to save their 

 timber land, and three of them cut home forests as much as possible, and, 

 annually about 75,000,000 board feet, by cutting them conservatively, to se- 

 mostly from virgin forests. To this cure a continuous crop through nat- 

 must be added the tremendous losses ural reproduction. Lumber corn- 

 by fires. In 1903 nearly 85,000 acres panics have not been so conservative; 

 were burned over, with a loss of over in many cases clean cutting has been 

 $200,000, not including the very great the custom. The Bureau of Forestry 

 damage to the young growth and to recommends that all large lumber and 

 the productive capacity of the forest, pulp companies secure in their own 

 It is a hopeful sign, that two of these interest as well as that of the region, 

 companies have adopted the policy of the services of trained foresters to 

 conservative lumbering. regulate the cutting. 



Of the total area examined, ap- The paramount forest menace, in 

 proximately 2,000,000 acres, 989,592 New Hampshire as elsewhere, is fire 

 are covered with softwoods, 34,752 rather than lumbering. But for the 

 with pine, 455,112 with hardwoods, seemingly invariable rule that fire al- 

 and 244,036 acres are agricultural ways follows lumbering, the cutting 

 lands : the remainder is made up of could and doubtless would be more 

 burned, waste and barren land, and conservatively done. The lumberman 

 lakes and streams. The virgin mer- naturally argues: Why leave stand- 

 chantable forests comprise but 200,000 ing seed trees, or even trees of smaller 

 acres, while there are 1,363,711 acres diameter, only to be destroyed by fire? 

 of cut-over or culled land, and 120,495 Thus while he is cutting he takes 

 acres of barren and waste land. The everything that he can sell, and leaves 

 present stand of softwoods is com- the young growth to take its im- 

 puted to be 4,764,000,000 board feet equal chance against fire. Let the 

 and the annual cut is 249,639,000 feet. State throw around the forests but a 

 In 1900 the wooded area of the en- tithe of the fire protection furnished 

 tire State was 3,228,000 acres and the the business enterprises of its cities, 

 cut for lumber amounted to 570,357,- and lumbering will immediately res- 

 ooo board feet. This is equivalent to pond with methods adjusted to the 

 177 board feet per acre of wooded better business risk. 



