108 OF WOOD EST GENERAL 



If, however, 500 million acres of true timber-forest were main- 

 tained in the United States, an annual cut of 20,000 million cubic 

 feet, or 40 cubic feet per acre, would not at first sight appear exces- 

 sive. It is, however, important to bear in mind that the White Pine 

 [Pinus StTohus) requires 90 years to reach the dimensions attained by 

 the Northern Pine of Europe [Pinus sylvestris) in 70, whilst the Long- 

 leafed Pine (P. paUstris) requires 200 years for the same growth. 



The White Pine has for half a century been the most important 

 timber of the United States, furnishing, as it does, the best quahty 

 of soft Pine. Of the home consumption of this wood some idea may 

 be formed from the fact that the city of Chicago alone received in 

 one year over 2,000 million feet, principally of this species, or an 

 amount equal to the entire produce of Canada during that year. 

 Speaking of this species, in 1882 Professor C. S. Sargent of Harvard 

 wrote, " It has been wantonly and stupidly cut, as if its resources 

 were endless : what has not been sacrificed to the axe has been 

 allowed to perish by fire. The Pine of New England and New York 

 has already disappeared. Pennsylvania is nearly stripped of her 

 Pine, which only a few years ago appeared inexhaustible." . . . 

 " In Michigan there remained of standing White Pine timber, suit- 

 able for market, but 35,000 million feet, board measure," whilst in 

 1880 there had been cut in the State over 4,000 million feet, " re- 

 quiring only eight years at this rate to exhaust the supply." In 

 Wisconsin there were standing 41,000 million feet, with a cut of 

 over 2,000 milhon for that year, " leaving a supply that would last 

 but fourteen years." In Minnesota there were remaining 8,170 

 million feet, and 541 milHon were cut in 1880, leaving a supply for 

 fifteen years ; so that the supply in the three States would be ex- 

 hausted in twelve years. There was in fact little more than 80,000 

 million feet in the United States, whilst consumption was at the 

 rate of 10,000 million per annum and the demand constantly and 

 rapidly increasing. Already by 1885 the United States were im- 

 porting timber from Canada to the value of nearly two milUons 

 sterhng, or about 75 milhon cubic feet, more than the entire cut of 

 the province of Ontario. That the extreme forecasts of the alarmists 

 have not been wholly realized throughout the United States may 

 be owing to the fact that it has been cheaper for the more densely 

 populated north-eastern States to supplement their own dwindling 

 resources from Canada rather than from the southern States. Thus 

 Mississippi, with 18,200 milhon feet board measure of Long-leaf 

 Pine standing in 1880 and with an annual cut of 102 million feet, 

 can supply timber at the same rate for 150 years, a period sufficient, 

 with proper conservation, to enable the supply to renew itself. 



Throughout Newfoundland and the Dominion of Canada reckless 



