Current Literature. 555 



The total area of Minnesota is 84,282 square miles, including a 

 water surface of 5,637 square miles. There are about seven 

 million acres of swamp land in the state, and it is estimated 

 that there are 8,000 lakes. The forested area is approximately 

 520,000 square miles, or nearly 65 per cent, of the land area. 



"Though the mills of the state are sawing nearly one and a 

 half billion feet of lumber a year, their output is not adequate 

 to meet the demand. They are called upon to supply not only 

 the people of Minnesota with their factories in every large town, 

 but likewise surrounding states, east, south, and west. The 

 Dakotas and Iowa have little timber of their own, and for years 

 they have drawn upon Minnesota's forests. They still look in 

 that direction for at least part of their supply. Douglas fir, 

 western yellow pine, western spruce, and western hemlock from 

 the Pacific Coast are, however, appearing where formerly the 

 timber of the Lake States held undisputed control. The western 

 woods have invaded Minnesota itself, and are now sold to fac- 

 tories in the state at the rate of millions of feet a year. Even 

 Louisiana and other southern states are sending large quantities 

 of pine lumber into Minnesota." 



Forty-five kinds of woods were used in the state in 191 1, of 

 which 42 were native to the United States, and 24 to Alinnesota. 

 The total quantity of wood used was nearly one billion feet, 

 worth nearly seventeen million dollars. Of the total used, 828,- 

 655,319 board feet came from the state, while 129,370,079 feet 

 came from the outside. The only woods supplied wholly by 

 ]Minnesota were aspen, and balm of Gilead. 



White pine is by far the most important forest tree in Minne- 

 sota. Manufacturers bought nearly three times as much of it 

 a.:< of any other wood, and paid nearly three times as much for it. 

 Red or Norway pine is second in amount used in the state. For 

 many purposes the lumber is as good as that of white pine, but 

 because of its reddish tinge it rates below white pine where 

 color is a consideration. Jack pine which a few years ago was 

 scarcely used at all, was used to the extent of sixty-five million 

 feet, worth $900,000. Of the hardwoods the most important are 

 birch, basswood, balm of Gilead, red oak, white oak, aspen and 

 sugar maple. 



To supply the mining industry of the state were required ten 

 million linear feet of mining timber worth $500,000 ; 82,750 cords 



