Current Literature. 557 



tural Experiment Station. The statistics were compiled from 

 data collected in the spring of 191 2 and cover the calendar year 

 T911. The chapter on "The Timber Resources of Iowa" and 

 "White Pine in Iowa" were not prepared in co-operation with 

 the Forest Service but are included in the bulletin on account 

 of the close relation between the wood-using industries and the 

 supply of native timber. 



"Iowa is essentially an agricultural state, about 90 per cent, 

 of its area being taken up with more than 217,000 farms. Prob- 

 ably one-fifth of the state was forested when white men first 

 reached it, the growth being along the rivers, though the forest 

 often reached back many miles into the prairies. The finest 

 sycamore, walnut and oak were soon cut and timber of that 

 class has almost disappeared. To-day, in fact, practically noth- 

 ing of the original forest remains. Aluch timber has been planted, 

 however, some as woodlots and some for windbreaks and shelter- 

 belts. 



"Most of the material obtained from Iowa forests goes to 

 supply the ever-increasing domestic needs of the woodlot owners 

 and is not accounted for in this statement of the annual con- 

 sumption of wood for factory products. Iowa still produces 

 timber, but by far the greater part of the wood used by manufac- 

 turers comes from outside. The state's wood-using industries 

 are important and it is giving more attention to plans for protec- 

 ting and further developing such valuable assets as the woodlot 

 and the industries depending on wood."' 



"In quantity the white pine used by Iowa manufacturers equals 

 nearly any four other woods. In price per thousand feet it is 

 exceeded by 23 species. The highest average price paid for any 

 species was for 5,000 feet of Circassian walnut at $300 per thous- 

 and the cheapest was black willow at $14. Compared with 

 prices in most other regions no very cheap wood is used in the 

 state. * * * The average price for the entire quantity of 

 wood purchased by Iowa manufacturers w^as considerably above 

 the average in most states. This was because Iowa is not in a 

 timber region and also because the kind of manufacturing car- 

 ried on demands a good class of raw material. Still another 

 reason for the high cost of the wood may be found in the fact 

 that much of it is bought in rather small amounts and retail 

 markets are patronized. The woodworks of Iowa are not gen- 



