BALSAM FIR. 



11 



Table 2. — Stand of balsam fir in Wisconsin, by counties, in million feet board measure. 



Ashland 20 



Bayfield 25 



Chippewa 20 



Clark 5 



Douglas 30 



Florence 15 



Forest 40 



Irop. 15 



Langlade 30 



Lincoln 25 



Marathon 25 



Marinette 10 



Oconto 15 



Oneida 10 



Portage 5 



Price 15 



Sawyer 25 



Shawano 20 



Taylor 30 



Viias 10 



Wood 5 



Total ,. 395 



The cut of balsam fir in Wisconsin for both lumber and pulp is 

 increasing. In 1910, 4,196,000 board feet were cut for lumber and 

 8,502,000 board feet for pulp, a total of 12,698,000 board feet. 



MINNESOTA. 



In Minnesota balsam fir is confined largely to the northeastern 

 half of the State, extending south as far as Isanti and Chisago Coun- 

 ties. On moist, retentive soils it reaches a fair development. In the 

 northern counties it attains an average diameter breast high of 10 

 to 11 inches and an average volume of 51 board feet. Prof. Roth 

 roughly estimated its stand in 1897 as 1,000,000,000 feet. While no 

 cut is indicated for pulp, 10,147,000 board feet were cut in 1910 for 

 lumber. 



MICHIGAN. 



Balsam fir occurs in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in mixture 

 with spruce, but there is little prospect of future supply from either 

 species, since they occur scatteringly. Prof. Roth estimated the 

 stand of balsam fir ui 1897 at 400,000 cords, or 200,000,000 board 

 feet. The estimates given by Prof. Roth 15 years ago of the stand of 

 balsam fir in the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan were 

 considered by him at that time too low, so their appHcabihty to the 

 present stand in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Michigan may therefore 

 be justified. 



The cut in Michigan is close to that in Wisconsin and Minnesota, 

 amounting to 10,712,000 board feet in 1910; of this, 5,925,000 board 

 feet were cut for pulp and 4,787,000 board feet for lumber. 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. 



BALSAM FIE PULPWOOD. 



Balsam fir finds its greatest economic importance as a pulpwood. 

 There is a close connection between the extent of the available sup- 

 plies of spruce in a State and the amount of balsam fir used in the 

 manufacture of pulp and paper. As long as there is a plentiful 

 supply of the former, the use of balsam fir is naturally restricted. 



