22 
TIMBEE 
The hardwood cut m 1906 was ]5 per cent, less than in 
1899, although this was a time when American industries 
were rapidly advancing, when the output of nearly all 
structural material used considerably increased, and even 
softwoods increased by 15'6 per cent., so the diminution 
was evidently due to lessened supplies, and high prices 
consequent thereon. During this same period the prices of 
the various classes of hardwoods advanced from 25 to 
65 per cent. ; white oak " quartered " increased 50 per 
cent, in price from 1887 to 1900, and 60 per cent, up to the 
present time. Oak, which in 1899 produced one half the 
hardwood supply, fell off 36'5 per cent., yellow poplar, which 
came second, fell off 37*9 per cent., elm 50'8 per cent,, 
Cottonwood and ash 36*4 and 20"3 per cent, between that 
date and 1906. Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois, which in 1899 
produced 25 per cent, of the hardwood supply, in 1906 pro- 
duced only 14 per cent,, the reason being that the forest 
land had been turned to agricultural use. Probably 
2,000,000,000 cubic feet is not an excessive estimate of 
the hardwood timber used per annum in the States, whilst 
the largest estimate sets the supply at about 33,000,000,000 
cubic feet, which means at the same rate of consumption 
only about sixteen years' supply. To show that the pinch 
is felt, much greater latitude is now allowed in specifica- 
tions for lengths and scantlings, showing that " we are 
down to rock bottom and require every sound piece of 
timber that can be put upon the market." The situation 
is summed up as follows :— " We have apparently about a 
fifteen years' supply of hardwood timber now ready to cut. 
Of the four great hardwood regions, the Ohio valley States 
have been almost completely turned into agricultural 
States, and the Lake State sand the Lower Mississippi valley 
are rapidly following their example." 
The consensus of opinion as to the average length of 
