CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



101 



at every turn. Every hundred tons of coal require two tons of wood to mine it. Every 

 pound of iron, every ounce of gold or copper requires wood to mine it, wood to refine 

 it, wood to transport it. 



Not only do civilized countries use vast quantities of wood, but they are ever 

 increasing their consumption. This is, I think, a fact not generally appreciated; in- 

 deed, when one recalls the large amount of substitution of wood by iron, steel and 

 cement which has taken place during the last one or two decades, it is almost past 

 belief that the consumption of wood should be still on the increase. Yet it is undoubt- 

 edly a fact. There is no civilized country in the world whose trade statistics are worth 

 anything which does not indicate exactly this condition. Indeed there is little doubt 

 but that the per capita consumption of wood of all civilized countries materially in- 

 creased during the decade from 1890 to 1900, a decade characterized by greater 

 substitution than any that preceded it, and by rapidly advancing prices of wood the 

 world over, both of which must have had an opposite tendency. 



Great Britain may be taken as a good test country for the purpose of discovering 

 modern tendencies of wood consumption. Her statistics are compiled with great care, 

 and volumes, of materials as well as values are everywhere available. She imports 

 practically all her wood, hence all kinds of wood are dear, and are naturally used with 

 economy. She is one of the leading nations both in the production and consumption 

 of iron, steel and cement. Surely here, if anywhere, the consumption of wood will 

 show a falling off commensurate with the increasing price. The contrary is the case. 

 The accompanying diagram (No. 1 on the right) shows the total imports less !the 

 exports of hewn, sawn and split woods for the fifteen years, 1886-1900. It will be seen 



CON8UMPTION OF 

 STRUCTURAL. TIMBE.K-* 

 IN GREAT BRITAIN 



*sa^ 



DIAGRAM No. 1. Showing on the right the imports less the exports of the United 

 Kingdom, of hewn, sawn and split timbers for each year from 1886 to 1900. The same 

 table is shown on the left reduced to a per capita basis. 



that the increase in the consumption of wood during these fifteen years was about 

 .eighty per cent. On the left of the same diagram is the same table reduced to a per 

 capita basis. It will be noted that notwithstanding the increased use of substitutes, 

 and the advancing prices, the average man increased his consumption of wood about 

 sixty per cent in the fifteen years. The per capita consumption of cabinet woods as 

 shown in diagram No. 2 (on the right) increased even more rapidly, amounting to 



