22 TIMBER 



The hardwood cut in 1906 was 15 per cent, less than in 

 1899, although this was a time when American industries 

 were rapidly advancing, when the output of nearly all 

 structural material used considerably increased, and even 

 softwoods increased by 15'6 per cent., so the diminution 

 was evidently due to lessened supplies, and high prices 

 consequent thereon. During this same period the prices of 

 the various classes of hardwoods advanced from 25 to 

 65 per cent. ; white oak " quartered " increased 50 per 

 cent, in price from 1887 to 1900, and 60 per cent, up to the 

 present time. Oak, which in 1899 produced one half the 

 hardwood supply, fell off 36'5 per cent., yellow poplar, which 

 came second, fell off 37'9 per cent., elm 50'8 per cent., 

 cottonwood and ash 36'4 and 20*3 per cent, between that 

 date and 1906. Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois, which in 1899 

 produced 25 per cent, of the hardwood supply, in 1906 pro- 

 duced only 14 per cent., the reason being that the forest 

 land had been turned to agricultural use. Probably 

 2,000,000,000 cubic feet is not an excessive estimate of 

 the hardwood timber used per annum in the States, whilst 

 the largest estimate sets the supply at about 33,000,000,000 

 cubic feet, which means at the same rate of consumption 

 only about sixteen years' supply. To show that the pinch 

 is felt, much greater latitude is now allowed in specifica- 

 tions for lengths and scantlings, showing that " we are 

 down to rock bottom and require every sound piece of 

 timber that can be put upon the market." The situation 

 is summed up as follows : " We have apparently about a 

 fifteen years' supply of hardwood timber now ready to cut. 

 Of the four great hardwood regions, the Ohio valley States 

 have been almost completely turned into agricultural 

 States, and the Lake State sand the Lower Mississippi valley 

 are rapidly following their example." 



The consensus of opinion as to the average length of 



