WHERE OUR PAPER COMES FROM 151 



paper next passes, dry it completely. The finished product is 

 then wound on large rolls and is ready for shipping. 



There are, of course, many modifications of this method and 

 many additional details, such as bleaching, coloring, and pro- 

 viding a high polish. But the basic processes are the same and 

 although a wasp gazing at this page would probably not recog- 

 nize any similarity to his handiwork, the fundamental methods 

 of grinding the wood to a pulp, wetting it, and pressing it out 

 into paper are employed both by the insect and by man. 



The uses we are finding for paper are enormous. A bare list 

 would occupy pages. The people of the United States consume 

 more than eight million tons of paper a year more than all 

 the other countries of the world combined. Over one million 

 tons goes into wrapping paper, alone. It is hard to realize how 

 greatly wood pulp has contributed to the abundant and cheap 

 paper that has made such widespread use possible. During the 

 days when linen and rags were our only raw material for paper, 

 periods of great scarcity occurred and the mills were often 

 unable to get rags in sufficient quantity to keep running. 

 Appeals were made to the public to save rags, and linen, for 

 paper making. During the Revolution, American officers could 

 not always obtain the small amount of paper needed for mili- 

 tary orders. Newspaper editors were often forced to print even 

 the margins of their papers so scarce was this commodity that 

 today we have in such abundance. 



The miraculous difference is solely due to the use of wood, 

 but it might be wise to look behind the scenes at the forest, 

 the source of all this, and see what is happening there. Neces- 

 sarily all these newspapers, books, and magazines are making 

 great inroads on our vanishing forests. 



