or preventing the renewal of the supply of large 

 timber. 



The northern hardwoods. Maple, birch, beech, 

 basswood, and elm form at least 85 per cent of the 

 total stand of hardwoods and furnish over 92 per 

 cent of the total hardwood cut in the Lake States. As 

 with hemlock, the logging of hardwoods began as an 

 aftermath of the white-pine logging. Hardwood pro- 

 duction progressed gradually from culling operations 

 taking only the best trees of the preferred species 

 to cuttings such as those made at present for chem- 

 ical distillation and charcoal, in which even tops, 

 limbs, and saplings are utilized. Beech was one of 

 the latest species to come into commercial demand; 

 less than two decades ago it was a common practice 

 to leave all the beech, which fires later destroyed. 

 Now, the hardwood-using industries absorb not mere- 

 ly the upper grades but anything which will make 

 lumber, and in some cases even cordwood. 



The veneer industry makes a constant demand for 

 high-grade logs. Such logs supply also the bulk of 

 the upper grades of lumber. There has been a con- 

 stantly growing demand for both veneer and high- 

 grade hardwood lumber, expressed in the pronounced 

 growth of such industries as the musical instrument 

 and toy grades. For a considerable part of this de- 

 mand lower grades ought to be acceptable; but so 

 long as the demand for upper grades exists- manu- 

 facturers will attempt to fill it, and the stand will 

 dwindle the more rapidly. 



ORIGINAL AND REMAINING STAND AND RATE OF CUT 



The original forests occupied practically all the 



11 



