FORESTRY BUREAU. 



147 



bilities and advantages of planting forest trees are good, and ere long 

 the planting will become general and the supply will equal the demand 

 in all parts of the State. 



The disposition to practice economy and utilize the whole of the tim- 

 ber when cut is fast taking the place of extravagance and wastefulness, 

 and the friends of the forestry movement are more hopeful for the 

 future. 



The damage by forest fires has been very disastrous in former years, 

 but their ravages seem to disappear as civilization and improvement 

 advance, and no fires of consequence of a recent date are reported. 



The deterioration of timber depends somewhat on the surroundings, 

 but as a general rule pines are in their prime at fifty to one hundred 

 years; oaks, at one hundred to one hundred and fifty; hickory, at 

 twenty to sixty; maples, at forty to seventy-five; walnuts, at sixty to 

 one hundred and fifty; poplar, at twenty to fifty. As a general rule 

 timber deteriorates after one hundrd years at the rate of 20 per cent, 

 per annum. In regard to the question of preservation and iucrease of 

 forests on the public domain, but few will venture to make a suggestion. 



One says : 



The Government should establish schools of forestry in every State to educate the 

 young and rising generation, and appoint forestry overseers (honest men, who will 

 do their duty) to look after the public domain. 



Another says: 



A regular forestry system is the only possible plan to encourage, protect, and ex- 

 tend it. 



And says another : 



Hang every rascalfound stealing, and plant plenty of walnuts. 



There is considerable falling off in the products of saw-mills for 1883 

 compared with the preceding year. In 1883 the cut was 148,719,271 

 feet, a decrease of 6,347,059 feet as reported for 1882. Shingles also 

 fell off 4,618,000 in 1883, the number reported for that year being 

 17,100,000. In laths there was a gain ; the number in 1883 was 26,750,000, 

 being a gain of 4,860,715 over 1882. 



WISCONSIN. 



In the efforts to obtain full replies to circulars, the same obstacles 

 are encountered in this as in other States. 



About 75 per cent, of circular " A" and 40 per cent, of " B" received 

 attention. Reports were from forty-one of the sixty-three counties of 

 the State. The replies were generally pretty full and well distributed, 

 which enables the compilation of a very fair abstract. 



Of the whole area of the State, 85 per cent, was at one time in origi- 

 nal forests, and consisted principally of oaks, pines, basswood or lin- 

 den, elms, maples, walnuts, cherry, hickory, poplar, spruce, tamarack, 

 beech, birch, cedar, and hemlock. Some of the hard woods were rather 

 inferior compared with those from other States. 



Fully 60 per cent, of the original forests have been cleared, and what 

 remains has been closely culled of its most valuable timber. The larger 

 portion of the clearing has been for purposes of agriculture, but a large 

 quantity of timber has been cut for lumber, fuel, fencing, staves, piling, 

 telegraph poles, railroad ties, hoop-poles, and other domestic and manu- 

 facturing purposes, while wasteful cutting and slashing has been car- 

 ried on to an alarming extent. Within the last decade, however, the 

 people are exercising more prudence and economy in cutting and using 



