130 English Timber and Underwood. 



twenty-five years ago. Yet the price of foreign timber during 

 the past twenty-five years has increased enormously. Further- 

 more, authorities predict that third quality to-day will be first 

 quality twenty-five years hence. Reasons already given sub- 

 stantiate this prediction, but there are also other points. Much 

 of the foreign timber sent to our markets twenty-five years ago 

 grew close to the sea-board and the railway, on the better valley 

 soils, in accessible situations, and in many cases only the best 

 timber was felled. Supplies obtainable under such favourable 

 conditions are rapidly decreasing, as can be seen in the present 

 quality and price of foreign timber. Future supplies are 

 farther from the sea-board, in less accessible positions, necessi- 

 tating heavy expense for transport, and the lumberman is now 

 content to take the comparatively inferior timber. As against 

 this, improved methods of lumbering and transport, and more 

 organised mai^keting, have reduced expenses in some directions, 

 but adverse factors have probably more than balanced this. 

 Yet another indication of future higher prices is the tremendous 

 increase in the prices and rents of timber limits. A generation 

 ago, forest concessions could be obtained for the proverbial 

 song. The following is an extract from a Forestry Journal of 

 1878 : " Three hundred and sixty thousand acres of white 

 oak and mineral land in Western Virginia were sold in New 

 York the other day in large lots for about one cent, {^d.) per 

 acre." It seems almost impossible to think of land and 

 timber ever again being obtained at such a figure. 



Owing to the huge appreciation in value of the forests, a 

 large sum has now to be paid for interest on capital, and on 

 this increased value there are now large and increasing rates, 

 taxes, and other impositions. 



Although, higher prices will result in the increased use of 

 substitutes, in many cases a reasonable advance in the price of 

 timber makes little difference in the cost of the manufactured 

 article. Wood is used in nearly every industry, but the cost of 

 the finished product is influenced more often by labour and 

 other expenses of manufacture than the exact cost of the wood. 

 In other cases, by increasing the life of the timber by preserva- 

 tives and introducing more economical methods of manufacture, 

 a higher price for the timber can be easily afirorded. 



Again, more economical and scientific methods often lead 

 to new uses for wood. A simple illustration of this is the 

 batten ends purchased by workhouses for conversion into 

 fire-lighters. The price of these has risen greatly owing to 

 other present demand for making wood wool, suction gas and 

 their products. 



Although iron and cement may be used in place of wood, 

 the use of wood in some form as a substitute for so many other 



