WOOD PRESERVATION AS A FACTOR IN FOREST 



CONSERVATION 



l'.\- Iv A. S'l'KkLixc; 

 rrcsidi'itt. .imcrican Wood Preservers' Association 



^^-Z 1 1 Iv preservative treatment nf 

 ^ J timher aj^aiiist decay lias de- 

 ^^^^velcjped rapidly into a very im- 

 portant industry, the broad significance 

 of which is not fully appreciated. The 

 i)idustry has assumed large proportions 

 ])rimarily because of its co nmercial 

 Aalue ; but, in addition, it has a very 

 broad bearing on questions of forest 

 conservation. It helps all wood con- 

 sumers direct]}- by insuring longer life 

 of material and less frequent renewals; 

 while indirectly it is of value to every 

 citizen because it is a factor in keeping 

 down lumber prices and in conserving 

 our forest resources. To the timber- 

 land owners, from lumber magnate to 

 farmer, it means a new and better mar- 

 ket for wood material. 



The forest propaganda movement of 

 the past twenty years has emphasized 

 the need for fire protection, more equi- 

 table forest taxation, closer utilization, 

 and the production of successive forest 

 cro]:)s on land un suited for agriculture. 

 Jn other words, it is urged that we per- 

 petuate our forest resources by protec- 

 tion and wiser use, so that they will 

 serve our needs. The rapidly increas- 

 ing consumption of timber — the amount 

 used per capita being about seven tines 

 that in Europe — makes the task of pro- 

 viding definitely for our growing re- 

 quirements almost a ho])elcss one. 

 Without a material decrease in con- 

 sumption, the .spectre of a future timber 

 famine, which has been marched out at 

 opportune times to arouse latent imblic 

 sentiment and hasten forest ]e,i;islati( m. 

 may actually materialize to the extent 

 of high i)rices and a distinct scarcity nf 

 certain grades or species of timber. 

 High grade white pine, for example, 

 already commands famine ])rices, and 

 white oak is rapidly approaching the 

 same condition. An actual timber 



famine is not likely to c<ime in the life- 

 lime of men now living; yet it is quite 

 probable that a crisis will be reached 

 which will affect national prosperity to 

 such an extent as to force a solution of 

 our timber supply problem. 



Wood preservation at present is the 

 strongest factor in the reduction of our 

 amuial timber bill, which, for lumber 

 and wood in all forms, reaches an enor- 

 mous total eciuivalent to at least one 

 hundred billion board feet, worth over 



CRIloSoTia) RIClvCll (.'kOSS-Tll'; SIIOWIXG 

 IMIMCKNIorS "Ri:i) HKART." 



one and one-quarter billion dollars at 

 point of manufacture. Xearly half of 

 this is manufactured lumber produced 

 in mills sawing more than 50,000 feet 

 annually. Preservative treatment not 

 only reduces this drain on the forests 

 by increasing the life of timber and 

 making one stick do the work of two or 

 three, but it permits the use of many 

 inferior woods which would be useless 

 without treatment. For the eastern 

 railroads it has kept the source of cross- 

 tie su])ply nearer home through the 

 use of non-durable woods, such as 

 beech, maple, sa]:) pine, etc., instead of 

 the more expensive white oak and long- 

 leaf pine, which have to be shipped long 

 distances. 



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