VALUE OF FOREST INDUSTRIES. 185 
it is seriously in the way and far in excess of the fuel demands 
of the settlers on those lands for a score of years to come. There 
seems to be something incongruous in the fact that while one- 
half of our state is prairie, and sadly in want of fuel and othe: 
forest supplies, the other half has such a superabundance of 
these products that they are going to waste, and only a small 
portion is considered worth marketing. 
Value of Forest Industries of Minnesota. The market- 
ing of the products of the virgin forest in Minnesota has added 
greatly to the wealth and prosperity of the state, and under 
proper management this source of wealth would continue indefi- 
nitely. The value of the forests of Minnesota is most easily seen 
by showing the number of men employed. According to the 
report of the Bureau of Labor, there were employed in logging, 
in the year 1899-1900, 15,886 men and 8,285 horses. The average 
time of the men was about twenty weeks. They were employed 
in 329 camps, and cut 1,112,000,000 feet board measure. The 
total wages was $2,988,900, besides board, or about $4,180,000, 
including board. 
In the wood-working industries, the following men were 
employed in the year 1900: 
Sash atid: doot anata eturetss: nica sacdds uaa yanee bis 1,186 
Sawmills, shingle and lath mills........................ 9,179 
Planners: ase vine ie selenite s ssccerte wis west biele sada sere pas 1,707 
Rattancand «willow woOrkssois ssaan ccilugak sac sahes Shae 48 
PA DOD TLS sora ache Bettas steno ries en atta b uae oa aia nel MS it 229 
Tambery ardsrei ae ei toe A ad hea en ithe ogo ths 276 
Wood-workine Shops: a..5 46 ere edaes 8 ees eSaenqueee ee 830 
Pari ture aid faxctur esis oss cian zanna ne ue aera ans 1,405 
CPOopera Cen ein ak Men mae ak ta suas wade gEn ONE d teeees 732 
Box manufacturing . » 356 
Motel at: Ree as ia et aha eee ee eR RE Soe SESTOSS 
Making a total in the wood-working and lumbering industries, 
besides carpenters and builders, of 31,874 men employes. 
Possibilities of Yield of Our Forest Area. The best 
authorities agree that the normal annual increase on our 12,000,- 
ooo acres of forest area should be about 2,000,000,000 feet board 
