140 



of present production. But if the yield per acre were also increased by 

 at least 50 per cent, which is easily possible, the capacity of the present 

 farm woodland area would be at least six times the yield of lumber and 

 logs now being cut within the state, and would then equal the total 

 annual output of the virgin forests of the state during the decades of 

 their highest production. It is improbable that this result will be at- 

 tained from the existing woodlands because of the pressure for cutting 

 at earlier ages and for bulky products, such as mine timbers or fuel. 

 But the yield of saw-timber can at least be increased threefold by proper 

 management and its percentage of the total crop doubled, so that one 

 quarter of the cubic yield will be in this form, which bids fair to be 

 the product most needed in future farm maintenance, and the most ex- 

 pensive to purchase. 



Consumption of Wood on Illinois Farms 

 As stated on page 83, the three major forms in which wood is 

 consumed on farms are fuel, posts, and lumber, amounting to 5T6 cubic 

 feet per farm. An additional 7.33 cubic feet of wood is used annually 

 on farms for shingles. (Appendix, page ITl, Note 10.) But the farmer 

 is also the ultimate consumer of much of the wood which enters into 

 the construction of manufactured products, such as farm machinery. 

 boxes and crating, furniture, paper and utensils of various kinds. The 

 total consumption for such purposes in the state has been considered 

 under manufacturing industries but it was not possible to compute the 

 amounts consumed on farms. This consumption, however, nuist be 

 charged to the farmer's account and added to the more obvious major 

 forms of wood which he uses and which to a considerable extent he 

 can produce in the wood-lot. A deduction should of course be made 

 to the extent to which steel and cement are used as substitutes for 

 wooden posts. But in spite of this reduction the actual consumption 

 per farm will be somewhat greater than that shown in the table which 

 follows. • 



Consumption of Wood on F.vrms Annually 



