180 ANNUAL REPORTS OP DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Sales of spruce and of other species suitable for use in airplane con- 

 struction have been made with the object of meeting a specific war 

 need, as have also sales of wood* and bark from which tannic acid is 

 extracted to be used in tanning leather for war needs. Sales of hewed 

 ties, mine timbers, telephone poles, and other special products have 

 helped to maintain the country's transportation facilities and produc- 

 tion of fuel and metals. In a few cases it has been possible to furnish 

 fuel needed at army camps, to be cut either by the army or by con- 

 tractors. It is impossible to determine the proportion of the total cut 

 on the National Forests which was ultimately used in war activities, 

 but since the lumber industry has been very largely dependent for its 

 market upon direct or indirect war orders, a large part of the cut 

 on the National Forests unquestionably was so used. The total out- 

 put of some sales, such as those of airplane material, was, of course, 

 delivered to the Government. Even with purchasers who before the 

 war produced construction lumber for the general market, it is 

 probable that from 30 to 60 per cent of the output during the last 

 year was sold directly or indirectly for use in the war program. 



The Forest Service, in cooperation with the Bureau of Aircraft 

 Production, has endeavored to stimulate the production of airplane 

 lumber from Sitka spruce in every way possible. This species, how- 

 ever, occurs in commercial quantities on only a few National Forests, 

 including the Olympic National Forest in Washington, the Tongass 

 Forest in Alaska, and the Siuslaw Forest in Oregon. Every oppor- 

 tunity to purchase stumpage on these Forests was offered to opera- 

 tors, and a number of sales were made, aggregating over 40.000,000 

 board feet. Most of the spruce, however, is remote from transpor- 

 tation, although this situation will be somewhat relieved with the 

 extension by the Government of the railroad along the north and 

 Avest sides of the Olympic Peninsula. Some of the airplane lumber 

 Avhich was produced on the Olympic Forest was hauled to the rail- 

 road by motor trucks over distances as great as 30 miles. In Alaska 

 the quality of the timber proved to be inferior to that in Washington, 

 and although some satisfactory material for use in airplanes has 

 been produced, it is now known that the best opportunities for pro- 

 duction are in the State of Washington. The greater portion of 

 the best spruce is in private ownership, as is also nearly all of the 

 Port Orford cedar, of which two small sales for airplane lumber 

 production were made on the Siskiyou Forest. 



The agricultural appropriation bill for the fiscal year ending June 

 30, 1919, contains special provision for the granting of timber on the 

 National Forests to any department, board, or committee of the 

 Federal Government if the timber is to be used for war purposes. 

 This legislation will enable a wider use of the timber resources of the 

 Forests to be made in the prosecution of the war. Every oppor- 

 tunity for the effective use of this legislation will be made. 



The sale of timber at cost of administration to settlers and farmers 

 under the act of August 12, 1912, and the free use of timber resulted 

 in the cutting of nearly the same amounts as in previous years. 

 More settlers and farmers took advantage of the opportunity to pur- 

 chase at cost than ever before, over 5,900 sales being made. 



