THE PRODUCE OF THE FOREST. 15 



being £2,250,000 on an average. Aspen and fir firewood 

 are now cut up for matches ; beech, formerly the staple 

 firewood, is used for furniture, floors, packing cases, pavements, 

 wooden shoes, etc. 



A part of the firewood is converted into charcoal or ashes. 

 Considerable quantities of the former are still used in domestic 

 firing, iron smelting where a raw material of special excellence 

 is required, in the manufacture of gunpowder and for a 

 variety of other purposes. Ashes are used for the manufac- 

 ture of potash, or as manure. 



The quantity of wood consumed in various countries differs 

 very much. Taking timber alone, the consumption is as 

 follows : — 



In France = 7 cubic feet per head of population. 



,, Belgium = 12 



„ the United Kingdom = 14 „ ,, „ 



,, Germany = 18 ,, ,, ,, 



,, Canada =80 ,, ,, ,, 



The imports of timber into the United Kingdom amount to 

 about ten million tons a year, and the home production may 

 be estimated at two million tons. 



h. Minor Fored Produce. 



As all produce which is not timber or firewood is included 

 under minor forest produce, it will easily be understood that 

 the term comprises a great variety of articles, amongst which 

 may be mentioned : bark especially for tanning, turpentine, 

 resin, caoutchouc, gutta-percha, catechu and numerous other 

 dye-stuffs, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, fibres, grass, moss, 

 peat, bamboos, canes, lac, honey, wax, and many others. 

 Several of these materials, such as grass, leaves and moss, 

 play an important part in small farming, especially in poor 

 countries, while others furnish the raw material for extensive 

 industries. In order to illustrate the latter point it may be 

 mentioned that Great Britain and Ireland import such articles 



