484 



APPENDIXv 



writer does not see any reason for accepting these guesses as 

 better than his own, or to change his general deduction, that 

 with a present cut of probably over 24 billion feet (including 

 pulp wood), which is increasing 30 per cent in every decade, 

 the Eastern supplies will be cut out sooner than they can be 

 replaced by recuperative measures. That only 14 per cent of 

 this valuable property is reported as owned by lumbermen is 

 rather surprising. The total amount of all species thus held 

 is stated as 215,550 million feet, "probably somewhat more 

 than. one-tenth the amount now standing in the country!" 



In other words, the rough estimate of the writer recorded 

 on p. 52 is accepted by the census compiler, Mr. Gannett, as 

 within reasonable truth, and we would then have not fifty 

 years' supply in sight. We had hoped the census would 

 prove this sad foreboding unfounded! 



The following tabulation, based probably on more sub- 

 stantial data than the estimate of standing timber, is of inter- 

 est in showing the relative productiveness and value of timber 

 lands in the various sections of the country. It reports the 

 acreage, contents, and value (capital invested) of the forest 

 holdings of the 8888 lumber firms reporting such. 



Section-. 



Capital. 



Thousand 



dollars. 



Acres owned. 

 Thousands. 



Average 



stand of 



merchantable 



timber 



per acre. 



Feet, B.M. 



Eastern group 

 Lake group . 

 Central group 

 Southern group 

 Pacific group 

 Miscellaneous group 



United States 



40,700 



75,185 

 17,527 

 54,037 

 23,785 

 3,755 



214,989 



4,500 

 6,694 



3,244 



12,414 



3,188 



2,182 



32,222 



4,700 

 4,900 

 4,700 

 5,000 

 24,500 

 2,500 



6,700 



