;o 



BULLETIN" 285, XJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



The census figures for 1909 show the following amounts of the 

 various hardwoods used for making veneers in the northern hardwood 

 region : 



Board feet. 



Maple 29, 219, 000 



Birch 23, 064, 000 



Basswood 12, 119, 000 



Elm 11, 951. 000 



The consumption for slack cooperage stave manufacture for the 

 same year was as follows: 



Board feet. 

 Beech 6, 700, 000 



Total 83, 053, 000 





Staves. 



Equivalent in 

 hoard feet. 



Beech. 



249,761,000 

 138, 761, 000 

 107,969,000 

 78,224,000 

 62,720,000 



83,253,667 

 46, 253, 667 

 35,989,667 

 23,074,667 

 20,906,666 



Elm 



Maple 



Birch 



Basswood 



Total 



637, 435, 000 



212. 478, 334 



In terms of lumber, the „ aggregate annual consumption for all 

 purposes of these five hardwoods in the Northeastern and Lake 

 States alone is probably 5,500,000,000 board feet. Including the 

 amount not usable, and therefore left hi the woods, or burned as 

 refuse or mill fuel, it undoubtedly exceeds 6,000,000,000 board feet, 

 or 12,000,000 cords. 



The depreciation both in extent and quality of the northern forests 

 through lumbering, fire, decay, insects, and other causes has already 

 been mentioned. Concurrent with the decrease in softwood timber 

 there has occurred a relative increase in hardwood exploitation, and 

 a similar increase in the cut of inferior hardwoods. From 1899 to 

 1912 the recorded annual lumber cut of northern hardwoods increased 

 from less than 10 to more than 22 per cent of the total lumber cut. 

 The increase in the several States is shown in Table 9: 



Table 9. — Increase in proportion of northern hardwoods in the aggregate lumber cut 

 of all species, from 1899 to 1912. 



State. 



Proportion of northern 

 hardwoods cut to total 

 cut. 



State. 



Proportion of northern 

 hardwoods cut to total 

 cut. 





1899 



1912 



Increase. 



1S99 



1912 



Increase. 



Maine 



Per ct. Per ct. 

 7.3 8.6 



Per ct. 



1.3 



7.3 



24.6 



22.4 



11.5 



Michigan 



Wisconsin 



Per ct. 

 19.5 

 10.9 



.8 



Per ct. 



47.5 



26.1 



2.4 



Per ct. 

 2S.0 



New Hampshire 



Vermont 



1.1 

 11.2 



15.7 

 4.9 



8.4 

 35.8 

 38.1 



16.4 



15.2 

 1.6 





Average l 





Pennsylvania 



9.8 22.5 



12.7 



1 Based on actual lumber cut figures; not on the percentages above listed. 



