io22 Timber Supply of the United States, [march, 



The total lumber production has increased from 18 billion 

 board feet in 1880, to 23! billions in 1890, 35 billions in 1900, 

 and 40J billions in 1907, the total being 768 billions for the 

 period 1 880-1907, or practically one-third of the amount of 

 timber at present standing in the United States. 



Diagrams are given in the Circular above referred to 

 showing the manner in which lumber companies have been 

 forced to turn to the forests of the South and West on the 

 cutting out of the virgin timber in the North and East. 



In estimating the future supply, the forest area oi 550 

 million acres is considered to consist roughly of 200 million 

 acres of mature forests in which growth is balanced by death 

 and decay, of 250 million acres partially cut or burned over on 

 which, in time, a partial crop of marketable timber may be 

 obtained, and 100 million acres of more severely cut and 

 burned-over forests in which there is not sufficient young 

 growth to produce a new crop. The average annual growth 

 for the whole is put down at 12 cubic feet per acre, or a total 

 of not more than 7 billion cubic feet per year. In other words, 

 the forests are being cut three times as fast as they are 

 growing. 



Such unrestricted exploitation cannot continue. White 

 pine, which was once considered inexhaustible, has fallen off 

 70 per cent, in cut since 1890, and 45 per cent, since 1900. 

 Oak has decreased 16 per cent, since 1900, and yellow poplar 

 22 per cent. 



The conclusion arrived at is that on 450 million acres 

 (allowing for the absorption of a further 100 million acres of 

 forest land for agricultural purposes), under proper forestry 

 conditions, enough timber can be produced for the needs of a 

 much greater population than at present exists in the United 

 States. To bring about this state of affairs greater economy in 

 use must be observed (the present annual consumption is 250 

 cubic feet per head, against 37 cubic feet in Germany), and 

 vigorous co-operation between the National Government, the 

 States, and individual forest owners is recommended. Most of 

 the U.S. forests are privately owned, either as farmer's wood 

 lots or as large holdings, either individual or corporate. The 

 public forests contain more than 100 million acres of sawn 

 timber, aad comprise approximately 20 per cent, of the stand- 

 ing timber. 



