PROPERTIES OF WOOD AND THEIR USES 61 



telegraph poles and floors are now made from rein- 

 forced concrete, and that passenger coaches, desks and 

 office furnishings are made from steel, nevertheless it 

 is undeniably true that wood has qualities which for 

 certain uses make substitutes impossible. Both steel 

 and concrete railway ties have been tried and are used 

 in some places with good results, but on account of their 

 stiffness and the tendency of the steel fastenings to 

 break suddenly under normal loads, the roadbed is 

 rather less comfortable and safe. Where a fast schedule 

 must be maintained and the comfort of passengers and 

 the durability of cars and engines are chiefly desired 

 nothing will take the place of a good tie made of wood. 



Only about one-fourth of the total amount of wood 

 used is for construction purposes and regarding the re- 

 mainder it is doubtful if substitutes can be conveniently 

 found. Paper-making draws heavily upon the forest 

 each year and the chemist has yet to find any sub- 

 stance both cheap and readily accessible which will take 

 the place of wood. In spite of the use of asphalt and 

 stone for paving, wooden blocks are still used for sur- 

 facing the streets in our large cities. 



In short the general tendency is toward a larger 

 consumption of wood each year, and while there is less 

 talk today of a timber famine than was heard a few 

 years ago, it is safe to say that timber is destined to 

 sell at much higher prices during the coming years, for 

 it is true that in most instances timber has been sold 

 for less than its growing cost. 



With the vast acreage in the United States which can 

 be used for no other purpose, we will always have 

 forests and in fact we will need them as much for 

 their influence on climate, the run-on 8 of our streams, 

 etc., as for any other purpose. 



