BRITISH WOOD SUPPLY. Ill 



furnished with accounts of timber sales at which single Oak trees have 

 realized up to 100, while other woods are commanding good prices, and 

 poles and thinnings are readily sold. There is a reason for this. The 

 great onslaught that has been made on the virgin forests of the world, 

 from the time of the PhuMiicians onwards, without artificial reafforestation, 

 must at length be appreciably felt. 



The increase of population and the advance of civilization must also 

 point to an increased use of timber of all kinds for works of construction, 

 for articles of use and ornamentation, and for fuel. A rise in the value of 

 home-grown timber seems possible ; in any case a ready sale may be 

 anticipated. 



With the decliue in the value of cereals it can hardly be doubted that a 

 considerable portion of the land of this country (some of which is derelict, 

 and some let at a very low rental) might be planted to advantage." 



The forest areas of the other countries of Europe are estimated 

 as follows : 



Russia, 469,500,000 acres, z.e. 34 percent. 



Sweden, 43,000,000 acres, i.e. 24 per cent. 



Austria-Hungary, 42,624,000 acres, i.e. 29 per cent. 



France, 20,642,000 acres, i.e.. 19 per cent. 



Spain, 20,465,000 acres, i.e. 16'3 per cent. 



Germany, 20,047,000 acres, i.e. 25'6 per cent. 



Norway, 17,290,000 acres, i.e. 25 per cent. 



Italy, - 9,031,000 acres, i.e. 18 per cent, 



Turkey, 5,958, 000 acres, i.e. 14 percent, 



Switzerland, ,905,000 acres, i.e. 18 '8 per cent. 



Greece, ,886,000 acres, i.e. ITS per cent. 



Wurtemberg, .494,000 acres, i.e. 31 per cent. 



Baden, ,338,000 acres, i.e. 33 per cent. 



Portugal, - - - ,107,000 acres, i.e. 5 percent. 



Belgium, ,073,000 acres, i.e. 12 per cent. 



Holland, 486,000 acres, i.e. 6 per cent, 



Denmark, - - - 364,000 acres, i.e. 4 '6 per cent. 



With civilization comes an increasing demand for timber for 

 fencing, building, mine-props, railway-sleepers, and telegraph- 

 poles, not to mention that for more valuable woods for furniture, 

 etc., and the multitudinous other minor uses of timber. Thus 

 American statisticians have estimated 3 million cords l of wood as 

 used annually in brick burning, a million cords of Birch for tool- 

 1 A cord-2 loads, 2 tons, or 125 cubic feet. 



