Engage
in Huge Reforestry Plan
Perpetual Timber Supply Until Eternity at Great Southern Co.’s
Tract at Bogalusa – A Local Reforestation Project
McKean County Democrat, February 12, 1925
H. H. Redfield, a stockholder and official
of the Great Southern Lumber Company, which is conducting one of the
worlds largest lumbering operations near Bogalusa, Louisiana, informed
the democrat editor Monday that his company had adopted a plan of scientific
reforestation, which is calculated to make the Louisiana operation perpetual
to the end of time.
Profiting by the tragic blunders of early lumber operators in Pennsylvania
which resulted in Penn’s woods being converted into a barren desert,
the Great Southern Lumber company has been systematically reforesting
as the work of cutting their big southern tract progresses. An average
of three pine trees to the acre are left standing as the wave of woodsmen
cut their way through the forests. The progress of second growth timber
over the tremendous area which has already been cut over during the
past twelve or fifteen years is truly remarkable.
Extraordinary precautions are taken to prevent forest fires and to these
successful efforts the gratifying progress of the second growth timber
is largely due.
Not content with the progress already made the lumber company, is continually
seeking to improve its conservation and reforestation program. Some
time ago Mr. Conger Goodyear, president of the Great Southern Lumber
company made a trip to Sweden for the special purpose of studying reforestation
methods there. Mr. Goodyear was granted every facility to study conditions
under most advantageous conditions, both by the Swedish government and
by the kingdom’s leading lumber companies. One of these Mr. Goodyear
found had been operating on one tract of land continuously since the
year of 1220, thanks to scientific reforestation, The well known
Buffalo man found the Swedes to be enthusiastic guardians of forest
wealth, and some time ago the Swedish ambassador to Washington made
a special trip to Bogalusa to observe the reforestation work being carried
out there and was highly pleased with what he saw.
When the Great Southern Lumber company, in which Smethport capital is
largely interested, started cutting its gigantic tract several years
ago it built what at that time was the worlds largest sawmill at Bogalusa
which became one of the south’s most thriving cities.
This gigantic sawmill has been running continuously 24 hours a day cutting
timber at the rate of 600,000 feet a day, or nearly the capacity of
some of the small mills which at one time, years ago, dotted this section
of Pennsylvania.
It is estimated that, sawing at the present rate, there is still enough
virgin timber on the company’s big tract to keep the mill running
at peak production for thirteen years to come.
At the end of thirteen years the work of cutting the second growth timber
will start and it is expected that the mill can then be kept in operation,
sawing at the rate of 125,000 feet of timber per day, as long as time
endures.
In citing this remarkable timber operation in which so much local interest
attaches, it is worthy of note that a parallel perpetual operation is
in a progress on the vast Heinemann estate near Smethport. The Heinemann
estate, thanks to intelligent reforestation and fire prevention feeds
the large chemical industries at Crosby and reproduction renders the
supply of wood inexhaustible at the present rate of consumption.
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