KINDS OF WOOD 



15 



The manufacture of hardwood flooring is the industry which consumes the 

 greatest quantity of birch wood, not only in the province of Quebec but also 

 throughout the whole of Canada. It is bound to occupy a still higher place 

 among the other industries using hardwood on account of the continually 

 decreasing supply of more expensive hardwoods and their increase in price. 



Quebec imports birch from Ontario, New Brunswick, and the United 

 States. The total quantity imported is equal to 15 per cent of the total con- 

 sumption of that material in the province. The material imported from Ontario 

 and New Brunswick is chiefly yellow birch. The United States furnished 

 66,000 feet board measure, or 1 per cent of the total consumption. This 

 quantity is believed to be made up mostly of sweet birch. 



TABLE V HARD PINE 



*Less than one-tenth of 1 per cent. 



Hard pine is not a Canadian wood. It is imported from the Southern States. 

 It comprises four distinct species: longleaf, shortleaf, Cuban and loblolly. 

 Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is characterized by close grain and density, and 

 is mainly used for structural purposes. Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is 

 coarser grained and softer than longleaf pine. Cuban pine (Pinus heterophylla) 

 has characteristics similar to longleaf pine but is not so common. Loblolly pine 

 (Pinus taedd) has the coarsest and softest wood of the four. Manufacturers do 

 not differentiate these species of pine. Hard pine is sold under many trade 

 names, such as: Georgia pine, Southern pine, yellow pine, Carolina pine, pitch 

 pine. 



Six industries report using hard pine material to the extent of 27,844,000 

 feet board measure, forming 4 per cent of the total consumption. Car con- 

 struction used 96 6 per cent of the hard pine material reported. The use of hard 

 pine is increasing perceptibly in Canada. The decrease of available white pine 

 will to some extent account for that condition. In many cases, and particularly 

 in the boat-building industries, hard pine is now used because of the difficulty of 

 obtaining high grade white and red pine. The average price paid, $35.25 per 

 thousand feet board measure, was over $7 higher than the price paid for the 

 native pine. 



