The Timber Supply Of The United States

One of the most novel and interesting features of the census of 1880 is the map and statistic3 of the timber supply of the country, prepared by Professor Sargent of Harvard, who is the special agent to collect statistics relative to forestry. The maps are the most interesting feature, presenting as they do not only the extent of the territory in States where there are forests valuable for timber, but those portions of the timber land which have been cut over. Nothing finer than the execution of this map work can be found, while the facts relative to location, character of the timber, its availability for market, give an idea of the magnitude of the work which Professor Sargent has performed. The bulletins and maps relating to forestry which have been iasued thus f ar relate to those large tracts of pine timber to which the country must look for its main supply of this valuable wood. Thus far the maps cover seven etates. ïhe following are trie teet oí merchantable pine (board measure) standiDg May 31, 1880, in thése states, together with the number of f eet cut during the census year ending with that date: Standing Pine Cut Cecus y'r States. Faet 1980 Feet. Texas 67,608,500,000 174,440.000 Wiscmsiu 41,000,000.1)00 2,007,299,000 Michigan 35,i 00,(100,000 4,497,21 1,000 Mi9sissippi 23,975,000,000 115,775,000 Alabama 21,192,000,000 215,396,000 Florida 6,615,000.000 208,ü5ö,000 Minnesota K.100,000.000 540.977.000 Probably future bulletins will give the extent of pine land in other States as well as statistics relative to the supply of valuable tiiiber of other kinds, but the above figures show (ürat) that the pine States g in the South contain the greater amount of tiinber, and (second) that the pine in Northern States is being cut niuch more rapidly than in the South. At therate of thecutting of 1880, without making allowance for the increase by growtb, Wisconsin's supply will last less than twenty years; Michigan's seven years; and Minnesota's less than twelve yeiïrs. At this rate the South must f urnish the greater part of the pine lumber in 1890.