10 MISC. PUBLICATION 26, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
The tropical forests of the East Indies, central Africa, and the 
Amazon will undoubtedly furnish us large quantities of timber, but 
mainly to replace our hardwoods in various industrial uses. While 
they contain timber suitable for general-construction purposes, it is 
generally scattered through the forest and seldom in extensive, 
fairly homogeneous stands comparable to the conifer forests which 
furnish the building material and pulp wood of the northern coun- 
tries. Moreover, the timber needs of the tropical countries themselves 
are increasing rapidly as the other resources are developed under the 
stimulus of white settlement. Their accessible forests in most cases 
are being destroyed as recklessly as our own. 
GROW MORE WOOD OR USE LESS 
We must, therefore, depend largely upon our own resources. 
Unless we produce more timber we shall be obliged to consume less. 
The drain on our forests may be reduced in two ways. Im the 
first place, we can eliminate a large part of the waste that now 
takes place. In addition to the 53,000,000,000 board feet taken each 
year from the forest for use, there is more than 7,000,000,000 feet of 
standing timber destroyed by fires, storms, and widespread fungous 
and insect attacks. Much of this great waste could be retrieved 
and would have the effect of increasing the net yield. Outside of 
the 7,000,000,000 feet of known waste are the scattered normal losses 
of single trees killed by insects, fungi, or overcrowding, and the 
deterioration in living trees due to the same causes. These amount 
to a very large volume in the aggregate. More careful utilization 
of the trees that are cut will allow us to cut 7,000,000,000 or 8,000,- 
000,000 board feet less, without diminishing the present rate of con- 
sumption. We utilize a much larger proportion of the wood in the 
tree now than was used 20 years ago, and elimination of waste by 
still more careful utilization and by preservative treatment of vari- 
ous sorts will undoubtedly go much further. Ail of these savings 
together can prolong by several decades the duration of the timber 
supply. 
The other way to lessen the drain on the forests is to consume less 
wood. Because it has been so abundant and cheap, Americans have 
been exceedingly prodigal in their use of timber. Not only have 
they used it carelessly and wastefully, but it has been used in much 
ereater quantities than was necessary, and for purposes where other 
materials would have given better service. Where England, France, 
and Germany use yearly from 150 to 200 board feet per capita of 
timber of saw-log size (including sawed lumber and other material), 
the United States used about 700 board feet 20 years ago, and still 
uses close to 500 board feet. As timber has become scarcer and more 
costly, there has been a tendency to use it more carefully and to sub- 
stitute other materials where practicable, but, as has already been 
shown, the normal growth of population in this country will easily 
absorb what may be saved by more economical use even down to the 
standard of use prevailing in Europe. What we can save in eliminat- 
ing waste and extravagant use will help us to tide over a temporary 
shortage of supplies but can not offer any permanent solution of the 
problem. 
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