General. Commercial importance far greater than the angio- 

 sperms because of the size, quality and quantity of the timber. 



Circular 166 U.S.F.S. credits the conifers with 80%, or 20 hundred 

 billion feet out of 25 hundred billion feet board measure, estimated as the 

 total stumpage of the U.S. In Canada the proportion would be 95% or 

 more. The conifers in the U.S. in 1910 supplied 78% of the total cut of 

 over 40 billion feet board measure; and yellow pine, Douglas fir, white 

 pine and hemlock supplied- over three quarters of that 78%. 



In Canada in 1912 the conifers furnished 93% of the total cut of 

 approximately four and a half billion; and spruce, white pine, Douglas 

 fir and hemlock supplied over 86% of the conifers. The average mill 

 prices ranged from $13.62 per thousand feet board measure for balsam 

 fir to $20.98 for white pine. Only in balsam fir does Canada's cut 

 exceed that of the United States. 



PINUS, THE PINES. 



Size. The white pine (P. strobus) is the largest of the eastern forest 

 trees of Canada. 



Root System. Deeper rooted than most conifers. 



Crown. Tends to spread, especially in the white pines. 



Tolerance. Intolerant. P. strobus and P. monticola are moder- 

 ately tolerant. 



Range. As a genus the pines have a wider range and cover a 

 greater area than any other important forest genus in the world. Of 

 the 70 known species about one-half are found in America. In Canada 

 they do not extend as far north as the spruces, larches and firs, but farther 

 than the other conifers. 



Soil. Xerophytic in Canada, and as a whole, except P. strobus 

 and P. monticola, which are sometimes mesophytic. 



Association. More gregarious than other conifers of America, 

 but second to the spruces in this respect in Canada. 



General. Commercial importance greater than that of any other 

 genus because of the high qualities and enormous quantities of its woods. 



In the U.S. the pines are estimated to comprise about one-third of 

 the total stumpage of 25 hundred billion feet board measure. They 

 formed 48% of the total cut of approximately 40 billion feet board meas- 

 ure in 1910. In Canada in 1912 they formed 24.7% of the total lumber 

 cut of approximately 4.5 billion feet board measure, the average mill 

 price varying from $14.55 for jack pine to $20.98 for white pine. 



