The rapid growth of dominant sawlog-size white 

 pine and hemlock is reflected in the high average 

 growth per acre of this type. The sugar maple-beech- 

 yellow birch type also shows good growth. Although 

 this type comprises only 28 percent of the total forest 

 area, it accounts for 48 percent of the current annual 

 growth in saw-timber volume. 



Commodity Drain 



The forests of the region are intensively utilized. 

 The demands for mine props, mine ties, and lagging 

 result in the full utilization of the wood in trees 

 felled except where distance from the mines is so 

 great that transportation costs prohibit the use of 

 the smaller material. The saw-timber size white 

 pines and the higher-quality hardwoods are often 

 manufactured into lumber, but the greater part of 

 this timber goes into lower valued products (fig. 25). 

 Even fuel wood and fence posts are at times produced 

 from saw-timber material. Although anthracite 

 mines do require large quantities of heavy props for 

 gangways, the high-grade logs could be sorted out 

 and sold for higher prices. Some high-quality white 

 ash and other valuable species now go into the mines. 

 Proper utilization of the quality timber could sub- 

 stantially increase the region's income now, and with 

 good forest management could result in several times 

 the present income and employment. 



SAW-TIMBER MATERIAL 



69 



OTHER MATERIAL 



132 



68 



490 



127 



45 



10 



148 



MM 



952 



Figure 25. — Forest drain in 1943. 



In 1943 about 12,500 acres of the merchantable saw- 

 timber stands were CUl over to meet the demands of 

 the various industries, Most of the saw-timber 



material thus removed passed through the sawmills 



The Anthracite Forest Region A Problem Ana 



7S0.VI0 48 1 



on its way to the consumer. Some of it, including 

 most of that which was too small for sawlogs, went 

 into the mines as props and gangway timbers. In 

 addition about 21,000 acres of merchantable pole- 

 timber stands were cut, largely for mine timbers; 

 and about 9,000 acres classified as unmerchantable 

 were culled over in the course of the operations in the 

 merchantable areas. This last amounted to only 0.4 

 percent of the area classified as unmerchantable. Of 

 the total area cut over it is estimated that about 35,000 

 acres were clear-cut. 



Drain Due to Fire, Insects, and Disease 



Besides the cutting of trees for commercial purposes, 

 there are several sorts of noncommodity drain on the 

 forests. One of these is the damage done by insects. 

 In some parts of the country this damage results in 

 serious losses, but it plays a comparatively small 

 part in the Anthracite I'orrst Region. In the neigh- 

 borhood of the northern coal field there is a gypsy 

 moth infestation, but Federal and State agen< i<"- 

 have established a quarantine area and the infesta- 

 tion is under control. Borers and leaf-eating beetles 

 also occur, but not in epidemic proportions, and they 

 do comparatively little damage. 



A second noncommodity drain, also of little con- 

 sequence at present, is that due to disease. Durinu r 

 the first quarter of the century the chestnut blight 

 wiped out the chestnut trees throughout the North- 

 east, and only sprout growth is now to lie found in 

 the region. 



Fire causes more damage than either insects or 

 disease. Thousands of acres of forest have been 

 destroyed by fire. The lire situation has been greatly 

 improved l>\ organized effort during the last quarter 

 century, but even now the loss is meat. Virtual!) all 

 of the estimated noncommodit) drain is the result ot 

 Inc. 



Invt nto) v ( '...' 



As the result iA' this growth and drain, it is esti- 

 mated that in 1943 the total growing Mock was 

 increased l>\ 2.5 percent (table 6). 1 his increase in 

 trees 5.0 inches d. b. h. and larger i^ equivalent to 

 more than 80 percent ol the volume in mine timbers 

 used in that year. Almost all of this increase in 

 volume occurred in merchantable pole-limbo - 



It is largely accounted lor l>\ unmerchantable 

 attaining sufficient volume per acre in 

 .ures and larger) to in- classified as merchan 

 timber. I he growth in uncut saw-timbei and 



>5 



