Plant Industries and Climatic Plant Formations 347 



The invention of new processes is gradually making it possible 

 to use a variety of other woods, and also certain herbaceous plants, 

 for the manufacture of paper ; consequently the industry is now 

 spreading to the Southern and the Northwestern coast states. 

 All together, 600 million cubic feet of wood are used annually in 

 pulp manufacture. 



Another important product of the northern evergreen forest 

 is tannin, which is used in the manufacture of leather. For- 

 merly the bark of the northern hemlock furnished the bulk of 

 this material and the nearness to hemlock forests determined 

 the location of many of the large tanneries. This industry has 

 been forced to move to other regions and find other sources of 

 tanning materials. The bark of the western hemlock, the oak, 

 and the chestnut are now used for this purpose. 



The northern arbor vitae has been one of the principal sources 

 of telephone and telegraph poles because of its durability in the 

 soil, its light weight, and its comparative strength. 



Agriculture in the northern evergreen forest region is more or 

 less limited to the production of hay and forage crops, and much 

 of the remaining land is given over to permanent pasture. Rye 

 and buckwheat are produced to some extent. This is the natural 

 region for the production of spring wheat, but owing to the shal- 

 lowness and poor quality of the soils it cannot be grown on a 

 large scale profitably in competition with the northern prairie 

 region. Potatoes thrive best in a cool, moist climate and are 

 mostly produced in the states along the Canadian border and the 

 east coast from Virginia northward. Cranberry production 

 centers in Massachusetts, and the total crop amounts to upward 

 of a half-million barrels. Large areas of pasturage lead to the 

 production of dairy cattle and determine the location of great 

 numbers of creameries and cheese factories in the Lake states 

 and southern Canada. 



The deciduous forest region. This great area is a region of 

 plentiful coal, oil, and gas, and it has abundant water power for 



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