THE FUTURE . 
43 
lock has been dying ont quite rapidly in most parts of this area; 
this process will certainly continue and unless the old stands 
are cut, much valuable material will he lost. 
Hardwood lumbering will continue for a long time, though 
probably at a very variable rate. As things are now, the pres¬ 
ent cut of 4-500 million feet per year can be continued for 
more than 50 years unless settlement and consequent clearing 
should progress at a very unusual pace. 
The outlook for the forest itself has been indicated in the pre¬ 
ceding. The hardwood forest is being reduced by logging and 
clearing, the pineries are disappearing and fires assist the de¬ 
struction of both besides burning out the swamps. 
As pointed out, both white and red (Norway) pine are per¬ 
fectly capable not only of continuing as forests but of reclothing 
the old slashings, but are generally prevented from doing so by 
fire. 
The hemlock is in a process of natural degeneration and even 
the hardwoods, though thrifty and intact as forests, seem to fail 
on most cut-over lands wherever fire has run. Thus about 60 
per cent, of the burned over lands are today devoid of any val¬ 
uable growing timber; producing firewood at best. Another 40 
per cent, of the 8 million acres of cut-over lands are entirely 
bare. And this unproductive area is rapidly increasing in ex¬ 
tent under present methods. 
Counting that 100 feet B. M. could be grown as the possible 
annual increment per acre on lands which are left entirely with¬ 
out care, save the protection against fire, the State of Wisconsin 
loses by this condition of affairs a round 800 million feet B. M. 
of a marketable and much needed material. This loss is pri¬ 
marily a communal loss, a damage to county and state, for the 
individual owner does not suffer; the land is bought for the 
timber and when this is cut the land is only held if it appears 
that a low tax assessment and opportunities to sell, etc., will 
promise more profit in holding than in abandoning it. 
