THE WORLD'S FOREST SUPPLY 27 



of regulating the flow of streams and rivers ; to the strip- 

 ping of the Apennines of their trees is said to be due in 

 great measure the rapid flooding of the Tiber, Po, and 

 other Italian rivers, owing to the rapidity with which the 

 rain or snow falling upon their steep, rocky slopes is 

 delivered into the plains below. 



Imports of Timber into Great Britain. Great Britain is the 

 largest importer of timber in the world ; whilst she has a 

 plentiful supply of stone and slate, and manufactures her 

 bricks, cement, iron, and steel, for practically the whole of 

 the enormous quantity of timber used she is dependent on 

 foreign supplies, and to her more than to any other country 

 is it a matter of importance that the sources from which 

 she draws her supplies of this valuable product should not 

 be dried up or so diminished as to curtail her allowance. 



According to the Board of Trade returns the value of timber 

 imported into Great Britain in 1907 was 27,094,365, and 

 the total quantity imported close on 10,000,000 loads, or 

 about 500,000,000 cubic feet. In addition to the above 

 must be added 1,920,026 for manufactured wood in the 

 shape of furniture, fittings, doors, windows, etc., woodware 

 and turnery imported during 1907, making up the total 

 import value of wood and wooden goods to over 29,000,000. 

 As regards the value of timber imported from different 

 countries into Great Britain, at the present time they 

 stand in the following order : Russia (1), Canada (2), 

 Sweden (3), United States (4), Norway (5), "Other 

 Countries" (6), British India (7), Germany (8); and as 

 regards quantity of timber they stand as follows: 

 Russia (1), Sweden (2), Canada (3), United States (4), 

 Norway (5), British India (6), " Other Countries" (7), 

 Germany (8). The larger proportion of the deliveries for 

 1907, over two-thirds of the whole, was divided amongst 



