STATISTICAL RELATION BETWEEN 

 FORESTRY AND MINING 



(Impromptu Address) 



BY 



DR. DAVID T. DAY 



United States Geological Survey 



HE relations of the mining industry to timber 

 supplies and the consequently necessary forest 

 culture, have been stated many times and many ways 

 so that the views on this subject are not novel, neither 

 are they clear. They are not clear because of 

 fragmentary statements made largely from very differ- 

 ent viewpoints by miners and by foresters. Further, 

 during the few years in which this subject has been 

 discussed the relations have been changing. 



The mining company is recognized as a good cus- 

 tomer by the lumberman and by the preserver of 

 forests he is recognized as a wanton destroyer and a 

 deadly foe. 



The miner has established his reputation as a good 

 customer to the lumberman and he is daily becoming 

 a better customer. This is because mine timber seldom 

 costs more than 10 per cent, of the cost of the ore, and 

 the large consumers want the best and can easily afford 

 to pay good prices for it. He can afford to send 

 farther for his supply than most other customers. He 

 is much in the same category as the railroad, except 

 that frequently poor timber will last longer than it 

 needs to last in a mine, and this is never the case with 

 ties. The miner outran the railroads as a timber con- 

 sumer, for it was stated here yesterday that a forest 

 reserve of half a million acres would (properly man- 

 aged) furnish the United States with ties. I doubt 



