of electricity, which makes its use more comfortable than that of metals, in 

 addition to its light specific weight and many other qualities, recommend it 

 for many purposes in preference to other materials. 



But above all things, its cheapness recommends it. We are paying 

 now, leaving out fancy woods, at the most, 60 cents per cubic foot for the 

 best wcocl, shaped, as against $5 to $10 per cubic foot for iron in sheets or 

 bars. Moreover, it is the only material of construction which we can pro- 

 duce and reproduce at will, while we know that most other materials now 

 in use must be sooner or later exhausted. 



Other materials have displaced wood in some uses, but other uses 

 have arisen for wood, and often the substitutes have again been displaced 

 by wood, when its superiority or peculiar qualities have been more fully 

 recognized. Even in such nicely balanced structures as the bicycle, for 

 which metal seemed the only proper material, wood has proved itself su- 

 perior, at least in certain parts. 



A remarkable instance of this return to the use of wood instead of 

 metal is that for factory and warehouse construction in order to reduce 

 danger from fire, it having been found that in case of fire iron beams and 

 posts are twisted out of shape by the heat, causing the collapse of the whole 

 building, while with wooden posts and beams the chances of keeping the 

 walls intact are much greater. 



Coal has largely displaced wood as fuel, yet according to the census 

 of 1880 more than half of the population relied still on wood for fuel, and 

 there is no reason to believe that the proportion has changed measurably. 



In fact, if we may be allowed to consider the figures of the census of 

 1880 still proportionately true, as far as bulk is concerned, our fuel con- 

 sumption represents about three- fourths of our total wood consumption; 

 and even in value this part represents nearly one-half of our entire enor- 

 mous consumption of forest products of the United States, and exceeds in 

 bulk more than ten times the iron and steel handled in that country. 



The development of the cellulose and wood-pulp industry with the 

 consequent extension in the use of paper, made from this material for all 

 kinds of purposes where elasticity and durability combined with strength 

 and lightness is demanded, from collars and cuffs and combs to car wheels, 

 has given new and constantly growing employment to wood. 



Considering, moreover, the very extensive and the very varied em- 

 ployment of wood, it will be apparent that substitution by other materials 

 cannot be readily accomplished, and means inconvenience, and, in many 

 cases, decrease of comfort. Hence, large wood supplies are, and unques- 

 tionably will continue to be, an indispensable requirement of our civiliza- 

 tion, almost like water, air and food. 



Besides wood supplies, the forest furnishes other material of no small 

 value. Of these, two classes at least give rise to industries of considerable 

 extent, namely, the tanning industry and the naval store industry. 



