88 THE FOREST EESOUECES OF THE WORLD. 



developing are the principal industries, so that the home consump- 

 tion of timber is not so great, and in ail probability this region may 

 in the future, when transportation is developed, be able to export 

 timber to the United States. However, owing to the relatively small 

 amount of forest, it can contribute but a very small part of the tim- 

 ber used by this country. 



CANADA. 



The Canadian forests are being cut and burned faster than they are 

 growing, as already shown, and yet the exports are growing steadily, 

 as shown below : 



Yearly average and values of exports of Canada.c- 



1881-1890 $23, 000, 000 



1891-1895. . .' 23, 450, 000 



1896-1900 27, 825, 000 



1901 29, 850, 000 



1902 : . . 33. 500, 000 



1903 3i; 400, 000 



In 1904 the value of wood imported was $9,000,000. 



It is evident, then, that Canada, the only country which the United 

 States can now count on for any considerable amount of timber, will 

 not long remain a source of supply to the United States. 



CONCLUSION. 



The review of the timber trade of the various countries of the world 

 shows a steady increase in wood consumption and imports of nearly 

 all the leading import countries, and but three important countries, 

 Russia, Finland, and Sweden, which can increase their export without 

 lessening their forest capital. This increase will be needed in western 

 Europe to make up the growing deficit there, and will not be a 

 source of supply for the United States. Thus the tendency is toward 

 a greater overcutting of timber on the part of the export countries, to 

 make up the increasing deficit of the import countries, which policy, 

 if continued, would lead to a universal shortage, with no surplus to 

 draw upon. This picture, gloomy as it may seem, is offset by the 

 birth of a new economic force — the general appreciation of the value 

 of forests and the movement toward the introduction of. rational 

 forest management by all civilized peoples. There is no doubt what- 

 ever that there is enough accessible actual and potential forest land 

 in civilized countries to produce, under proper management, an 

 abundance of timber to supply indefinitely the world's growing 

 demand. 



Doctor Schlich states, in his Forest Policy, that by planting up 

 waste lands in Great Britain much of the annual import could be 

 replaced by home-grown timber. If any material results can be 

 expected in Great Britain, this country, with its great existing forests 

 and large amount of permanent forest land, can certainly supply its 

 timber needs. Not only of necessity, in view of the lack of any 

 adequate foreign source of supply, but also from national pride and 

 the desire to preserve a tremendous native industry, the United 



a Endres, loc. cit. 



