1186 



Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1917 



POPLAR IN SOUTH-EASTERN MANITOBA 



This rot begins its work sometimes 

 when the tree is not more than 20 

 years old, more frequently later, and 

 increases gradually so that by the 

 time the stand has reached log tim- 

 ber dimensions, say in 60 to 70 years, 

 almost the entire wood body is pene- 

 trated by the mycelia of the fungus, 

 rendering the wood unfit for known 

 purposes. In a given case the United 

 States Forest Service found in a 95- 

 year-old stand nearly 60 per cent 

 unmerchantable; in another case, an 

 excellently appearing stand, the loss 

 was nearly 50 per cent. In order to 

 get the largest amount of sound wood 

 the trees should be cut before the 

 fungus has made much headway, say 

 in the 40th to 60th year, according 

 to conditions, or 50 years on the aver- 

 age, when the diameter will average 

 8 to 10 and up to 15 inches in better 

 ^oils, and from 30 to 40 cords per 

 acre may often be found. 



How Poplar is Used 



The wood decays as easily in con- 

 tact with the soil as the tree itself, 

 otherwise it is fit for use wherever 

 a light soft and not strong material 

 is serviceable. Locally, to be sure, 

 it is used in the absence of better 

 material for many purposes, and cut 



in large quantities for fuel, for which 

 it is inferior, although for baking its 

 quick, hot fire is advantageous. Com- 

 mercially, it is used for the manu- 

 facture of excelsior, certain kinds of 

 cooperage, especial y nail kegs; crates, 

 baskets, berry boxes, spools, and more 

 prominently for paper pulp, for which 

 it is, perhaps, best adapted. 



As regards the latter use, it is to 

 be noted that it is specially fit for 

 the soda process, that by itself it 

 makes a weak paper, lacking in satis- 

 factory matting qualily, and is there- 

 fore customarily used in mixture with 

 spruce pulp, when it makes an ex- 

 cellent book paper. 



For Paper Making 



In the United States more aspen 

 is used for paper-making than any 

 other wood except spruce and hem- 

 lock. In 1909, the proportion of 

 aspen used in paper manufacture 

 was 6 per cent, of the total pulpwood 

 consumed, or around 250,000 cords, 

 of which 25,000 cords came from 

 Canada. In 1910, the consumption 

 had grown to 360,000 cords, or 9 per 

 cent, of the total pulpwood consump- 

 tion, and the importation to 15,000 

 cords. 



