THE SPRUCE REGION 243 



forest to the mills advantageously located on railroads or navi- 

 gable streams, has already been mentioned. The favorable loca- 

 tion of the mills needs further emphasis, however. Throughout 

 the Maine section of the region the mills are many of them so 

 situated that they can ship directly by vessel to Atlantic coast 

 points, and also to foreign countries. The railway system of 

 New England provides quick transportation from the mills to 

 inland points. 



The demand for spruce, the principal forest product, whether 

 in the form of lumber or as pulp, is in excess of the supply. The 

 area in the United States capable of producing spruce to best 

 advantage is comparatively limited, and as the timber has high 

 technical value, both for lumber and pulp, there is no doubt that 

 a constant demand for the wood will continue. 



The forest products shipped from the spruce region are lumber 

 and pulpwood, and special products used in various manufactur- 

 ing plants, such, for example, as bolts of yellow and paper birch 

 for spools and bobbins. The region is too far from markets to 

 make possible the sale of cordwood on any extensive scale. 



Industries. — Usually each forest region has some one or 

 several industries dealing with forest products. These industries 

 may be found only in that particular forest region, or may be 

 best developed there, though occurring in other regions. 



As a forest region is separated from adjacent territory mainly 

 on its differences in forest growth, and as different timber species 

 are best suited for various different uses, the development of an 

 industry, typical of a forest region is simply the logical commer- 

 cial expression of the forest. 



Pulpwood. — In the spruce region the production of pulpwood 

 is the typical industry, and it is the leading region for the pro- 

 duction of spruce and poplar pulpwood.^ 



1 In this connection it should be noted that the Adirondack section of New 

 York state which is a great pulpwood producing region is naturally a part of the 

 spruce region. The figures given here are given for the New England portion of 

 the spruce region, with the recognition, however, that the Adirondack section is 

 naturally a part of the same forest region and should be included to show the true 

 place of the region in relation to this industry. 



