HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



stand of various species of hardwoods separately in the southern pine 

 region, but estimates, expressed in percentages of the whole hard- 

 wood stand, were made for oak, gum, hickory, and ash. By convert- 

 ing those percentages into feet, the following interesting table has 

 been compiled. The stand of each of the species is shown, not only 

 in the region as a whole, but in all of the eleven states separately. 

 These figures in this form have never before been published. It is 

 not claimed that they possess a high degree of accuracy, but only 

 that they are the most careful estimates that have ever been made, 

 covering this area. The Bureau of Corporations doubtless had fuller 

 data on the subject than had ever been brought together before, and 

 the conclusions shown in the following table are worthy of thought. 



Total 



.77,739,000 46,443,000 8,798,000 6,720,000 70,347,000 



SUPPLY .\ND USE 



The annual sawmill output of oak in the eleven states listed in 

 the above table is approximately 1,3.55,000,000 feet. If this rate of 

 cutting continues it indicates that the oak in the area will last fifty- 

 seven years.* No account is taken of oak converted into staves and 

 hewed crossties, and if this quantity were included, the period which 

 the oak timber may be e-xpeeted to last would be considerably reduced, 

 probably about ten years. 



On the same basis of estimate, it is indicated that the gum (in- 

 cluding red gum and tupelo) in the area will last about eighty-one 

 years ; hickory seventy-seven years ; ash eighty-two years ; and mis- 

 cellaneous hardwoods one hundred and ten years. 

 Outside .\reas 



As previously stated, the Bureau of Corporations omitted several 

 important areas from its scope of investigation. One of the districts 

 thus left out contains a large amount of valuable hardwood as well as 

 much softwood. It includes New England, New York, New Jersey, 

 Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West .Virginia, Ohio, Indiana. 

 Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. Some of this omitted territory is 

 the best hardwood region of the United States, and it is to be re- 

 gretted that it was not included in the scope of investigation. The 

 Bureau of Corporations was not looking so much after the stand of 

 timber as after the ownership; and this is probably the reason that 

 the above states were left out of, the investigation. The timber is 

 not generally held in large bodies, but by innumerable small owners. 



It is possible to use some of the Bureau of Corporation's data in 

 estimating the stand of timber in states outside the investigation area. 

 For example, it was found in the southern states investigated that 

 the annual cut of oak was one foot in fifty-seven of this stand; ash one 

 in eighty-two; hickory one in seventy-seven; and miscellaneous hard- 

 woods one in one hundred and ten. If it is assumed that these ratios 

 of cut to stand hold good for hardwoods in the states from New 

 England to Tennessee, it becomes easy to estimate the stands in 

 those states on that basis, for the annual eawmill cut is well known 

 for all the states. There is no apparent ^reason why the ratio does 

 not hold as well in the eastern hardwood region as a whole as in the 

 southern part of it. Basing ca.lculations on that assumption, the fol- 

 lowing talile has been compiled to show the probable remaining stand 

 of certain hardwoods outside the areas investigated by the Bureau 

 of Corporations. There is not much gum outside the southern pine 

 belt, and it is not included in the table. It may be stated, however, 

 that the estimate shows about 7.000,000,000 feet outside the southern 

 investigation area; or about 53,443,000,000 feet for the United States. 



The table showing the estimated stand of certain hardwoods in 

 states from New England to Tennessee follows: 



Oak. Hickory, Ash, Miscellaneous, 



M Feet M Feet M Feet M Feet 



Xew England 3,700,000 972,000 464,000 



New York 2,000,000 90,000 705,000 323,000 



Pennsylvania 13,300,000 681,000 540,000 525,000 



Maryland 2,700,000 106,000 41,000 60,000 



West Virginia 25,000,000 936,000 540,000 830,000 



Ohio 13,500,000 1.401.000 1,700,000 340,000 



Indiana 10.400.000 ■ 1.521.000 1.500,000 350,000 



Illinois 3,700,000 544,000 238,000 33,000 



Kentucky 22,500,000 1,971,000 1,500,000 1.250,000 



Tennessee 25,000,000 3,160,000 1,125,000 686,000 



Tot.ils 121,800.000 10,410,000 8,861,000 4,861,000 



The above table was worked out on a uniform basis of cut per 

 year to stand in the whole regions. While the basis is the same as 

 that applied to the same woods in southern states, it may not hold 

 for such state? as Ohio and Indiana, where the cut probably bears a 

 higher ratio to the stand. However, since precise information on 

 this point is not available, the calculations were made on the assump- 

 tion that the ratio of yearly cut to the whole stand is uniform 

 throughout the region. 



Summary 

 Using foregoing figures, it is practicable to compile a summary of 

 the hardwood stand in the United States. The correctness of this 

 summary depends, of conrse, upon the correctness of the figures 

 already given in detail. In the summary no account is taken of hard- 

 woods west of the Mississippi river, except Louisiana, Texas, Ar- 

 kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota. Some hardwoods are scattered over 

 the western country, but the total of merchantable hardwoods there is 

 comparatively small, though there is considerable scrub timber and 

 brush. The figures in the following summary represent merchantable 

 timber only, not small growth. 



Su.mmarv of Indicated Hardwood Stand in U. S. 



Oak of all kinds 200.239.000,000 feet 



Gum of all kinds 53.443.000,000 feet 



Hickory 19,208,000,000 feet 



Ash . ." 16.584.000.000 feet 



■ MiS(ellanc?ous Hardwoods 115.108,000,000 feet 



Total 404,582.000,000 feet 



The latest statistics show a yearly hardwood lumber cut in the 

 United States of 8,857,426.000 feet. At that rate the hardwoods wUl 

 last about forty-five years. This does not take account of the use 

 of merchantable timber for other purposes than lumber. 



Taking the Bureau of Corporation 's figures for the country 's total 

 stand of merchantable timber, 2,826,000,000.000 feet, and dividing it 

 by the latest yearly lumber output, 40,018,282,000 feet, it is shown 

 that the country's forests contain enough timber to supply sawmills, 

 at the present rate of cutting, for approximately seventy years. 



Relation of Tannin to Durability 



While it has long been accepted that many woods owe their 

 resistance to decay to the presence in them of tannic acid, it is 

 only recently that actual experiments have demonstrated it. One of 

 the most destructi-\e of all fungi is Meruliiis lacryinans, which 

 produces dry rot. A t?ernian investigator h.is found that tannic 

 and gallic acid solutions of from 0.5 to 1 per cent hindered, while 

 from 1 to 2 per cent completely stopped growth of this fungus. 



Small blocks of oak heartwood were also extracted with hot water 

 for varying periods. This was found to render them suitable for 

 the growth of Mrrulius. while the uncooked blocks supported only 

 a scanty surface growth. After three weeks it was estimated that 

 the development was three times as strong as in the uncooked wood. 

 The water extract from the wood was found to be poisonous to 

 the fungus when mixed with gelatin media or dextrose solutions 

 Spruce boiled in 2 per cent solution is immune to dry rot. 



The results of these investigations would seem to raise a question 

 as to the advisability of prolonged steaming of timber unaer high 

 pressure. If by so doing the tannin in the heartwood is leached 

 out the natural resistance of the material to decay is thereby re- 

 duced. This observation does not refer to steaming under high 

 pressure and for a limited time employed in assisting lumber 

 seasoning. 



