4-72 



RECREATION. 



of the increase in population. The danger 

 of exhausting our timber supplies before 

 they can be replaced is infinitely greater 

 now than it was 20 years ago, hence the 

 efforts to secure their replacement must be 

 also much greater. In spite of the heroic 

 efforts of the Federal Government to in- 

 duce private owners to adopt a more con- 

 servative management of timber lands, in 

 spite of the extension of the forest reserva- 

 tion policy, in spite of the beginnings of a 

 forest policy in several States, these efforts 

 are still embryonic and nowhere in pro- 

 portion to the magnitude of the interests 

 involved. The Eastern wooded States in 

 which there is any beginning at all of a 

 forest policy comprise less than about one- 

 third of the forest region and a really seri- 

 ous, although still inadequate beginning can 

 hardly be said to exist on more than one- 

 fifth of the territory. 



"The latest forestry legislation in Wis- 

 consin is still largely of a tentative charac- 

 ter, suggesting indefinite and impracticable 

 or unnecessary experiments, with inade- 

 quate appropriations, toying with the situ- 

 ation, instead of instituting at once a well 

 devised, professionally conducted manage- 

 ment of the State's important forestry in- 

 terests. 



"The need of the hour is the realization 

 by Legislatures and officials of the immedi- 

 ate seriousness of the situation, the estab- 

 lishment of well organized forestry bureaus 

 in each State, conducted by professional 

 foresters, and, above all, an efficient fire 

 police. To this end the Association should 

 have a carefully chosen committee, which 

 should be ready to assist State authorities 

 in formulating adequate legislation." 



In his remarks Dr. Fernow referred to 

 the collapse of the College of Forestry at 

 Cornell University as an example of the 

 absence of a serious and honest forest policy 

 even in the State of New York. 



WOOD PRICES. 



The most persuasive argument for ra- 

 tional forest management has begun to De 

 appreciated, namely, the advance of prices 

 for wood materials. Within the last 5 

 years not only lumber prices but stumpage 

 values have jumped at a marvelous rate. 

 A few samples will illustrate this tendency. 

 Last fall 36 square miles of timber limits 

 in the Nipissing district in Canada were 

 sold at $200,000, which 5 years ago were 

 valued at $135,000. Another limit which 

 had been sold at $100,000, 3 times what it 

 was valued at, 10 years before, in a few 

 months having changed hands 3 times at 

 advanced prices, brought $210,000. 



Last fall, too, the Ontario government 

 doubled the dues on all timber cut to $2 

 a thousand, and raised the ground rent on 

 timber limits from $2 to $5 a square mile. 



Pulp wood in Northern New York brings 

 more than $10 a cord, which only the year 

 before could be had at $7 to $8. 



A large area of Southern pine changed 

 hands 3 times in a few months, the first 

 purchaser hesitating at $8 an acre, the last 

 refusing more than $20. 



The change in prices of lumber does not 

 necessarily parallel the increase in stump- 

 age prices, because the elements of logging, 

 transporting and manufacturing, enter and 

 vary relationships ; yet there is the same 

 tendency of increase. Prices for the best 

 lumber in the New York market today, 

 with the exception of the fine, high grade 

 furniture woods like walnut and cherry, 

 have increased 50 to 100 per cent over 

 prices of 15 years ago. That is an appre- 

 ciation of 3 to 5 per cent, annually. 1'he 

 cubic foot of manufactured wood of best 

 quality ranges now from 24 cents for hem- 

 lock to over $1 for white pine ; while most 

 of the woods hover between 60 and 80 

 cents. Relatively the cheapest appears to 

 be the Southern pine, costing about 55 cents 

 for the choicest. The greatest rise was 

 probably experienced by white pine, which 

 from 1870 to 1900 rose 50 per cent, for 

 best quality of lumber ; but in the last 3 

 the price has risen from $57.50 to $90, or 

 56 per cent. 



These figures are significant and they are 

 a hopeful element in securing a more ra- 

 tional treatment of our forest resources. 

 They accentuate the fact that these re- 

 sources are waning; and better prices will 

 make it more profitable to lumber with 

 care, to protect forest property and to re- 

 cuperate neglected wood lands. 



WOOD PULP SUPPLIES. 

 Maine is said to be the chief source of 

 the future supply of good spruce for paper 

 making, and it is claimed that there are a 

 little over 21 billion feet of spruce stand- 

 ing. If this were true, Maine could supply 

 the present consumption of pulp wood in 

 the United States for about 14 years ; but 

 if the consumption increases as in the past, 

 namely, trebling every ten years, it will ex- 

 haust the Maine supply in half the time, 

 for we are now using annually about 1,500,- 

 000 feet of pulp wood. Is it time to be 

 alarmed? Somebody also guesses that the 

 annual new growth on the spruce of Maine 

 represents 637.000,000 feet, provided fires 

 are kept out. This growth, even if it should 

 accumulate for the 7 years during which 

 the old growth is utilized, would not suf- 

 fice for the 8th year. There are, of course, 

 other regions furnishing a supply; never- 

 theless, it is wise, when the large estimates 

 of supply are made, to put opposite them 

 the figures of consumption. A significant 

 fact in this connection is that in the last 3 

 years the importations of wood pulp have 

 more than doubled. 



