A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



293 



MINING 



Mining of coal demanded increasingly larger quantities of mine 

 timbers. The use of wooden props in mines began to develop toward 

 the end of the eighteenth century. As the coal industry grew, the 

 import of mine timbers into such countries as England and Germany 

 also increased. The importation of mine timber into England during 

 the period 1901-05 averaged more than 106 million cubic feet a year. 

 During the period 1909-13 it rose to more than 147 million cubic feet. 



PULP AND PAPER 



The use of wood for paper dates from about 1850. The paper 

 industry, based on wood, made a phenomenal growth, particularly 

 in the last 20 years. In 1911 the world production of wood pulp was 

 7,679,000 tons. In 1929 it has increased to 18,478,000 tons, or over 

 140 percent. (See table 8.) 



TABLE 8. World production of wood pulp in 1911 and 1929 l 



i Streyffert, Th. Varldens Barrskogstillgangar. Stockholm, 1931. 



The average world per capita consumption of paper in 1925-27 was 

 in the neighborhood of 23 pounds, ranging all the way from 192 pounds 

 in the United States to less than 1 pound in China. Should the teem- 

 ing masses of Asia alone reach the world average of 23 pounds, the 

 paper production of the world would have to be increased by 10 

 million tons to meet Asia's needs alone. Japan has already increased 

 its pulp production from 77 thousand tons in 1911 to 661 thousand 

 tons in 1929, or more than 750 percent. The fact that the per capita 

 consumption of pulp was increasing, up to 1929, in such countries as 

 the United States, Great Britain, and Germany also is an indication 

 that even in the industrial countries the possibilities of growth have 

 not yet reached a limit. (See table 9.) 



TABLE 9. Annual consumption of paper in various countries, 1925-27 

 [Based on Streyffert, VSrldens Barrskogstillgangar. Stockholm, 1931] 



