of lumber drain in 1944 was softwood and one- 
fourth hardwood. Two-fifths came from the South 
and another two-fifths from the Northwest and 
California (table 12). Only 14 percent came from. 
the 37 percent of the commercial forest land that 
is in the North. 
TasB_eE 10.—Annual forest drain, by region} 
Saw timber All timber 
Section 
and Region Soft- | Hard- Soft- | Hard- 
Total | woods | woods | Total | woods| woods 
| 
Billion | Billion | Billion | Billion | Billion | Billion 
North: bd. ft. |bd. ft. | cu. ft. | cu. ft. | cu. ft. 
bd. ft. cats swaies 
New England| 2.20] 1.44] 0.76} 0.76] 0.37 0.39 
Middle 
Atlantic ....... 2.30 58| 1.72 85 18 67 
MAK OME er. cesses: 2.01 84] 1.17 74 32 42 
Central ............ 2.34 EZ 222 20) 05 1.15 
Plains 18 O01 ali 2 O01 bl 
fetes ~ 9.03| 2.99] 6.04/" 3.67) 93] 2.74 
South: 
South Atlantic) 6.14 4.30 1.84 1.60} 1.06 54 
Southeast ........ 11.93} 7.54] 4.39] 3.02] 1.79 1.23 
West Gulf ........ 6.83] 3.80} 3.03] 1.84 85 99 
ehotal Fe. .| 24.90] 15.64) 9.26) 646] 3.70] 2.76 
West: 
Pacific North- 
west: 
Douglas- 
fir sub- 
region _| 12.00} 11.98 02) 2.15] 2.15 (°) 
Pine sub- 
region .| 2.53] 2.53] — ..... AT AT linet 
sliotall cain, 14.53] 14.51 02| 2.62] 2.62 ) 
California _.... 8. L6s S16). 3 AQ Uhlan ese 
North Rocky 
Mina 3.3, 1.79} 1.76 .03 32) 31 01 
South Rocky 
Mtn. ............ ABI eT NO ee-LO)|") .10)| eda) 
Motal ne ist 19.96 | 19.90 06] 3.53) 3.52 01 
United States... 53.89 | 38.53) 15.36] 13.66) 8.15} 5.51 
+Drain for commodities is based on 1944 data; estimates 
for loss by destructive agents are based on 1934-43 averages. 
2Less than 0.006. 
Fuel wood, which makes up 18 percent of the 
cutting drain, amounts to 2.2 billion cubic feet 
(table 11 and fig. 8). This drain item is relatively 
important in the South and in the North, and of 
little consequence in the West (table 12). Two- 
thirds is in hardwoods, one-third in softwoods. 
More than half of the 65 million cords of fuel 
wood used each year is obtained from tops and 
limbs of trees cut for sawlogs and other products, 
from dead and dying trees, from mill waste, etc., 
and so does not add to forest drain. Only 45 
percent of the fuel wood used is shown as drain. 
Nevertheless, this is too much. Two-fifths of the 
Forests and National Prosperity 
SOFTWOOD HARDWOOD 
LUMBER 
WLLL 
FUEL WOOD 
Wed 
PULPWOOD 
MISC. COMMODITY USE 
WUMUMMMMMtbdbbdb 
Ee Sema 
2 fe) 
BILLION CUBIC FEET 
Ficure 8.—Annual forest drain by cutting (1944) and destruc- 
tive agents (1934-43), United States. 
direct fuel-wood drain is from saw timber, and 
much of this is potentially more valuable for other 
products. It should not be necessary to cut much 
saw timber for fuel, or to clear-cut pole timber, 
if cutting for fuel were regarded as a tool of good 
forestry rather than the end point in timber har- 
vest. Farmers, especially, could improve their 
stands by getting more fuel wood from thinnings, 
from trees of undesirable form or species, and from 
more complete utilization of trees cut for other 
purposes. 
Tas_Le 11.—Forest drain, by commodities cut, 1944 
Saw-timber drain All-timber drain 
Commodity 
Soft- |Hard- Soft- |Hard- 
Total |woods |woods | Total |woods | woods 
Billion | Billion | Billion | Billion | Billion | Billion 
bd. ft. | bd. ft. | bd. ft. | cu. ft. |cu. ft. | cu. ft. 
Joum bere £2) ae 34.39 |26.13 | 8.26 | 6.71 | 4.78 1.93 
Fuel wood ................ 3.86 | 1.96 | 1.90 | 2.20 72 1.48 
Pulpwood ................ 4.76 | 4.50 226) PS 7 14 
Hewnities: . bre... 2: 1.64 78 86 36 15 21 
Fence: posts: %7-!),--- 23 08 15 22 .06 16 
Veneer logs ............ 1.97 94 | 1.03 39 16 .23 
Mine timbers ........ 32 .O7 25 23 .04 19 
Cooperages. fe 75 20 55 aly .04 13 
Shingles 1.0.0.0... al Rasoo 33 Sel ae Od .07 See 
Others Sawiee 1.41 .60 81 52 16 36 
otal ens e 49.66 | 35.59 |14.07 | 12.18 | 7.35 4.83 
