WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



51 



Items. Feet Board Measure. 



Timber used for fence rails in 120 years 4,275,000,000 



Farm timber other than fencing, prior to 1880 . . 1,000,000,000 

 Construction of wooden houses in towns prior 



to 1880 500,000,000 



Fuel in 120 years 10,000,000,000 



Quantity now in forests 30,000,000,000 



Lumber cut since 1879 15,419,500,000 



Quantity wasted 238,805,500,000 



Total 300,000,000,000 



Only one item, the lumber cut since 1879 is from the rec- 

 ords. The others are given approximately, as has been stated. 



FOREST FIRES. 



The forest has, perhaps^ no worse enemy than fire. The 

 losses from this cause are complete and far-reaching. Mature 

 timber is burned in large quantities; the young and promising 

 undergrowth is consumed; standing trees are made subject to 

 attack by insects and fungi ; the animal life of the woods is de- 

 stroyed ; the beauty of landscapes is marred ; lives and property 

 of all kinds are endangered ; streams are dried up ; and often 

 the very soil itself is consumed. 



The work of preventing and controlling forest fires forms 

 the cheif work of those who have the care of forests in charge. 

 The Government incurs great expense in its efforts to stamp out 

 this curse from the National Forests in the west; every state is 

 confronted with the problem of its control ; and all lumber com- 

 panies, coal companies, and other owners of wooded lands must 

 sustain frequent and serious losses from this cause. 



*'The fire has destroyed billions of feet of timber in West 

 Virginia. The loss has increased as forests have decreased, and 

 for apparent reasons. There seems to have been little loss in 

 the early years of settlement. Travelers and writers of that 

 time who were familiar with the countrj^ seldom mention fire; 

 and there is little evidence to be found in the condition of the 

 woods to show that fires did much damage. Old ''bums" — that 



