192 FOREST PRODUCTS 



UTILIZATION OF WOOD IN THE INDUSTRY 



Favorable Conditions. 



The Northern hardwood forests, chiefly in Michigan, Pennsylvania, 

 New York and Wisconsin, are very fortunately located for engaging in 

 the wood-distillation industry. There are three very necessary condi- 

 tions for successful operation, namely: (i) a plentiful and, therefore, a 

 relatively cheap wood supply; (2) comparatively near a good fuel supply, 

 such as natural gas and coal ; 1 (3) reasonably accessible to a market for 

 the products of the industry. The only desirable condition that is not 

 generally present is that of large iron furnaces where the charcoal can 

 be utilized to the best advantage. In Wisconsin and Michigan, however, 

 are large iron furnaces which have been largely responsible for the devel- 

 opment of large distillation plants in those states. 



Desirable Species. 



Woods that are hard and heavy are the most suitable for the wood- 

 distillation industry, especially those that are, in addition to the above 

 qualifications, free from tarry and resinous products. As a rule, heart- 

 wood is considered much more desirable than sapwood and there is an 

 almost uniform opinion among manufacturers to the effect that hard 

 maple is considered best and that beech and birch follow in order. Chest- 

 nut contains too much tannin for successful production of distillates. 

 Ash, oak and hickory are considered almost as good as the so-called 

 northern hardwoods, namely beech, birch and hard maple. Cherry and 

 elm contain too much tarry material and, consequently, the distillate 

 results in an excessive amount of wood tar which has very little com- 

 mercial value and, in addition, there is an insufficient yield of alcohol and 

 acetate of lime. Basswood, popple, cottonwood and the soft woods or 

 conifers are entirely too soft and light. The conifers such as spruce, 

 white pine, balsam, fir, hemlock, etc., are undesirable on account of the 

 resinous nature of their wood and their light weight. Other native species 

 found in the Northern hardwood forests do not grow in sufficient quan- 

 tities to make them of any importance for use in the industry 



Stumpage Values. 



The value of the timber on the stump varies considerably. On 

 large logging operations where the tops, limbs, defective trees and 

 brashy material are utilized, practically no stumpage value is used, 



1 This is especially true of plants located in Pennsylvania and New York. 



