73 



One of the questions contained in the letters of inquiry was as fol- 

 lows : 



Is there danger of the timber supply failing ? 



To this, twelve replies in the affirmative were received and nine in 

 the negative. Five correspondents stated there was no danger of the 

 supply failing unless the timber was destroyed by fire, and that the 

 undergrowth would make good the loss by consumption, and one stated 

 that the timber would last for a htmdred years. 



With respect to remedies for failing lumber supply, the following sug- 

 gestions were ofl'ered : 



Import from Oregon. 



Ship more lumber from the East. 



Protect from fire. 



Post notices to i^reA^eut setting of fires. 



Encourage tree planting. 



Plant Oak, Walnut, and Hickory. 



Impose heavy penalties for cutting small timber. 



Timber should be owned by private parties. 



The principal uses made of timber in this region are the manufact- 

 ure of lumber, railway ties and timber, mining timber, telegraph poles, 

 charcoal, fencing, and fuel. 



LUMBER. 



Yellow Pine (No. 7),* White Pine (No. 2), and Black Pine (No. 9), 

 W^hite (Engelmann) Spruce (No. 11), and Red or Yellow Fir (No. 19), 

 are the principal timber trees of the region. They furnish most of the 

 common and a portion of the finishing lumber. Considerable White 

 Pine {Pinus strohus) from the lake region, Kedwood {Sequoia sempervi- 

 rens) from the Pacific coast, many of the hard woods also, and Southern 

 Pine are imported for the finer kinds of work. 



Approximate estimates, based upon reports received from some of the 

 principal lumber dealers of the region, make the consumption of lum- 

 ber for the year 188G as follows: Native, 46,000,000 feet, B. M.; im- 

 ported, 18,000,000 feet. 



Note. — These figures can hardly be used to convey an idea of the quantities of 

 lumber manufactured at home or imported into the region, and unless the large but 

 quite uncertain quantity of unsawn lumber used in the mines is deducted, they seem 

 to be far below the actual amounts used, as will appear from the following results of 

 an independent canvass among saw-mill men and statements of railroad companies. 



From these an estimate of between 150,000,000 and 200,000,000 feet of native timber 

 and of 40,000,000 to 50,000,000 feet imported would appear to represent more nearly 

 the amount of lumber consumed in the region. 



Idaho. — Five mills out of six report an aggregate cut of 4,550,000 feet, while an es. 

 tiraate places the whole amount of native timber used in the Territory at 17,000,000 to 

 19,000,000 feet. (See also page 93.) 



Montana. — Nine mills out of eleven report an aggregate cut of 19,592,000 feet, mainly 

 for mine timber, but exclusive of railroad ties and cord-wood, of which large quanti. 

 ties are cut. 



Wyoming. — Only one mill out of five reports cutting 500,000 feet, and estimating 

 the cut for the Territory at 8,000,000 feet outside of railroad and mine timber. 



The numbers refer to those used iu the account by Mr. Sudworth in this report. 



