52 
Within the time available it has been impossible to study the economic possi- 
bilities of competition by the west coast industry in eastern pulp and paper 
markets. Washington mills in 1920 paid on the average $10.90 per cord for 
hemlock and spruce pulp wood, delivered at the mill, while New York mills paid 
$25.01 per cord for spruce under the same conditions. This one item of cost of 
wood at the mill would go a long way toward offsetting the freight on paper from 
the west coast to Atlantic ports. An enlarged future demand would on the one 
hand tend to increase prices through competition for stumpage, and on the other 
to reduce the cost of delivering pulp wood at the mill through a larger, better 
established, and more effective organization for this purpose. 
The future possibilities of a mechanical-sulphite pulp industry on the Pacific 
coast, present pulping processes considered, depend primarily upon the yields 
which can be secured of spruce, fir, and hemlock under intensive forest manage- 
ment. Unfortunate^ no data are available which show separately the potential 
growth of these species. They occur primarily in mixture with nonpulp species, 
and the growth and yield figures available cover types rather than individual 
trees. The greater part of the existing stand occurs in what is classified as the 
Douglas fir-spruce-hemlock type, which on the Pacific coast includes an area in 
excess of 25 million acres. (Table 46.) While present growth of this type falls 
somewhat short of 5^ million cords a year it is estimated that under intensive 
forest management production could ultimately be increased to more than 24 
million cords. From this total it would appear entirely feasible to maintain 
permanently a pulp and paper industry consuming from 3 to 3^ million cords a 
year. This is the approximate volume already indicated as that to which the 
spruce-fir-hemlock cut of the near future might be increased. 
In this survey it must be kept in mind that possible growth in the Douglas fir- 
spruce-hemlock type is much faster than in the corresponding types of the North- 
east and the Lakes States. While the average possible growth under intensive 
forestry for the spruce-fir type in the Northeast as a whole is estimated at 45 
cubic feet per acre per year, and in the Lake States at 35 'cubic feet, that for the 
coast Douglas fir-spruce-hemlock type has been placed at 112 feet. The possi- 
bilities in the Northeast, on small tracts under exceptionally favorable conditions, 
of 80 cubic feet per acre per year may be increased on the Pacific coast to 170 
cubic feet. Assuming the production of pulp species alone, it would require an 
area of only approximately 8 million acres on the west coast to produce our total 
spruce-fir-hemlock pulp requirements of about 7,170,000 cords. This area is 
only a little over half of the forest area of Maine. Production of the 3| million 
cords indicated for the Pacific Coast States would require only 4 million acres, 
with correspondingly larger areas if nonpulp species or if less intensive methods 
of management were involved. It would be entirely feasible, if the pulp and 
paper industry desired, to produce its future requirements on a relatively small 
aggregate area. 
Still another future advantage lies with the Pacific coast forests. Growth is 
so rapid that pulp wood may be produced on very short rotations. While ro- 
tations of 50 years as a minimum will probably be necessary in the eastern Bpruce 
For* Bts, it should be entirely feasible with similar standards of utilization to grow 
spruce, fir, and hemlock in the Pacific Coast States on rotations of 30 years. 
PINE PULP WOOD FOR SULPHATE PULP. 
The preceding discussion has dealt entirel) with possibilities of sulphite and 
mechanical pulp production. The three Pacific Coast States, however, contain 
mi ire than 490 million cords of pine and other species suitable for sulphate pulp. 10 
1 'i be po ilbilitj ol using Douglas Or for sulphate pulp is not taken Lntoaoobunt although a small 
volume i • uovf being used, a very small amount of Douglas fir Is also being used with Cottonwood 
tureof book paper. The existing stand of Douglas fir Is very large, probably two or three 
ol pine and other species Bultablefor Bulphatepulp in the Pacific Coast States. The 
I louglas Br arc also very large, 
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