22 BULLETIN 820, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
SUPPLY OF JACK PINE TIMBER. 
The largest supply of jack pine timber in the United States is in 
Minnesota, north of 46° of latitude. State Forester Cox in July, 
1916, roughly estimated this supply at 5 billion board feet,’ with 10 
million cords of material obtainable from trees under 8 inches in 
diameter. He also stated it as his belief that jack pie in that State 
is probably growing more rapidly than it is being cut, although fires 
destroy annually a great deal of the young growth. | 
In 1898, Prof. Filibert Roth said 2 of the supply of jack pine in 
Wisconsin: 
At present it is not used to any extent, neither stumpage nor logs meee real com- 
mercial value, except where used as fuel and for farm purposes. The stand of this 
pine, if taken down to 4 inches, is about 34 billion feet, of which about half might be 
used for dimension stuff, while the rest could be employed as pulpwood.? 
The supply of saw stuff has doubtless been considerably reduced 
since that time. With respect to trees suitable for cordwood and 
pulpwood, however, new growth has probably equaled the amopnt 
that has been cut in clearing and lumbering. 
A recent compilation by the author of the Forest Resources of 
Michigan places the stand of possible jack pine saw timber at 1-1/5 
billion board feet. There would be more than this much again of 
pulpwood. In New York and New England the stand of jack pme 
is negligible. 
Bulletin 50 of the Canadian Forestry Branch contains an estimate 
for 1915 of from 7 to 8 billion board feet of jack pine timber in Mani- 
toba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. 
The supply of eee pine is more nearly keeping pace wa the annual 
cut than that of either Norway or white pine. On the one hand, the 
market for it is more limited because of the small size of its Senos : 
and, on the other, it reproduces freely on cut-over or burned land 
formerly occupied by these more valuable species. 
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WOOD. 
Superficially the wood of jack pine is similar to that of Norway 
and white pines. The sapwood is nearly white and the heartwood 
light brown to pale orange. In trees under 50 years of age the wood 
is mostly sap, the proportion gradually decreasing with age. Even 
in 100-year-old trees the sapwood often constitutes half the volume. 
The wood is soft, light, a cubic foot of kiln-dried lumber weighing 
about 30 pounds, not strong nor tough, straight and rather coarse- 
grained, easily worked, easily split, and apt to warp and check in 
1A recent compilation by the author of the forest resources of Minnesota places the stand at 23 billion 
board feet. 
2 Bulletin 16, Division of Forestry, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
8 The stand of jack pine saw timber 8 inches and over in Wisconsin is placed in a recent compilation by 
the author at 13 billion feet. 
