146 North American Forests and Forestry 



you must deal. Who can be certain what economic 

 changes affecting the market for your commodity 

 may occur in a hundred years ? Still, as in agricul- 

 ture there are certain staples which will always be 

 in demand, so there are in forestry. The kinds of 

 wood used in building, and for ordinary rough 

 work, such as pine and spruce lumber, are not likely 

 to ever fall into disfavor. It is different with many 

 of the hard woods required for furniture and other 

 manufacturing uses. Among other things, these 

 are subject to the changes of fashion, which may 

 at one time destroy the market for wood there- 

 tofore in common use, and at another bring a wood 

 that was despised as valueless into favor and con- 

 sequently into the high-priced class. It is not very 

 long ago when the common red oak was considered 

 valueless except for fuel. To-day none other of 

 our oaks is in greater demand by furniture makers. 

 New uses have recently been found for quite a 

 number of woods that once were unsalable. This 

 has been brought about, for example, by the intro- 

 duction of excelsior, the more wide-spread use of 

 wood alcohol and similar distillatory products, 

 and especially the use of wood pulp in paper 

 making. 



While the species which, like the pines, furnish 

 lumber principally for building and other rough 

 uses have the advantage of a surer and steadier 

 market, the other kinds of trees, required for spe- 

 cial uses, generally speaking have the advantage 

 of higher prices. They also, in most cases, may 



