FOREST POLICY. 



assessors. In 1853 forest area was 55%; in 1870, 38%; in 1S86, 

 22%; in 1896, 17.4%. After the 12th census, however, the area 

 of woodlands was 23% of area of State, or 9,300 square miles. 



2. Physiography: No mountains, no dry or rocky soil. 

 Undulating, rich table land, every square foot fit for agricultural 

 purposes. Lake Erie in the north and Ohio River in the South 

 facilitate transportation. 



3. Distribution: Scattering groves of long boled hard- 

 woods appear everywhere (hickory, sycamore, oaks, chestnut, 

 ash, maple, yellow poplar, walnuts, elm, beech, etc.). Original 

 forest is, probably, left in swamps only. White pine along the 

 Pennsylvania line in a narrow belt. 



4. Forest ownership: All woodlands are attached to farms, 

 except 80,700 acres, of 4,100 feet b. m. average stumpage, con- 

 trolled by lumber mills. 



5. Use of timber: Ohio occupies seventh rank as a lumber 

 producing State of the Union, having maintained its position 

 admirably in spite of reports of declining supplies. Ohio leads 

 in the production of furniture stock. Logs are worth at mill 

 $9.47, and on stump, $4.92. There are 2,023 mills, of $4,638 

 average investment. Value of products of lumber industry 

 averaged, in 1870, 1880, 1890 and 1900 respectively, $10,000,000, 

 $14,000,000, $15,000,000 and $21,000,000. 



The cut in 1900 consi-sted of: — 



White oak 593,000,000 feet b. m. 



Other hardwoods 325,000,000 feet b. m. 



Conifers 42,000,000 feet b. m. 



Leather industry: 58 tanneries use 5,500 cords of hemlock 

 bark, 23,800 cords of oak bark, 10,000 barrels of bark extracts 

 and a little gambler, quebracho and sumac. Total product of 

 tanneries equals $5,200,000. 



Paper and pulp industry has 51 plants using rags, waste 

 paper, straw and manila grass preferably, in addition to 5,000 

 cords of home-grown (?) spruce, 2,000 cords of Canadian spruce, 

 10,000 cords of home-grown poplar, 2,000 cords of Canadian 

 poplar and 12,000 cords of miscellaneous woods. 



6. Forestry movement: State Forestry Association inac- 

 tive. Woodland is considered only as farmland bearing the wrong 

 crop. A bill for forestry school defeated in 1897. 



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