EKPIRE RESOURCES

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1921, Page 4

EKPIRE RESOURCES

TI AIDER. 'J’lie total value of wood and timber imported into the United Kingdom during 1920 amounted to ,CB2.l()■'. Ji2o, ns compared with £73,300,4051 in the previous year. Owing to a Uitlereut. eiiissilieation of the imports m the offieial trade returns for lust year, 11 mparison as to the quantities of the various classes of timber is impossible. The following table shows, the imput'ls of wood and timber into the I tilled Kingdom during 15)20: ■S'oS S c> S o o S g a j! c a * .a fo 7, r'rj i 7g - .tp o tt ro :t. *; ■' CT vi n cv .y ci . T -Sr. gt •/. •« "g • • : ” ; : \ \ ; § : : : • _£ ° • : "g ; i 5 ! The most irnportint and edmi'iereiall.v valiiable of the forest trees in I Canada is the white pine, the wood ol • ii'liieb is soft and easily worked. A ' harder and more resinous wood is that : r,f the red pine, while the spruces yield the best pulp pap'r. The most valuable of the various trees of DriEsh Columbia is the Douglas fir. '''he Itemlock is an important trees in the Maritime provinces of Canada and in Quebec and Ontario, where the wood is ! much used and the bark finds n ma' h, t for tanning and for the manufacture ol hemlock tanning extract. The aspen and balsam poplars are widely distributed. their timber being useful fer general purposes and lor wood pi Ip. The red cedar of British; Columbia, is now largely used for furniture and interior decorative work. For special purposes ash. elm, lurch and leech are used, whilst oak. bass-wood and maple have also an important. place among the commercial woods of Canada. AVitli her immense resources ol timber. Canada not only possesses a vast lumber and saw-milling industry, but is also tile field of important wind, working industries. in the levoiopinent of which there is wide scope l«i the employment of further capital. The annual cut of timber in British Culuinliia is al present in the neighbourhood of C.VIO.IKXhCm feet I. aid measure, and that this quantity, large as it is. could he increased is si'ou tl by the fact that the total estimate of standing inert hanfahle timber in the Ib'oviiire is no fewer than InO.ldlMMMi iai:t feci hoard measure, which is over half the total of Canada. The total value ol Ilm exports of en hi;iiiufacl oreil wood and vino.l prod;,. Is In,iii the Dominion of Canada for the year elided L'100.7,:!3. I2H ill the previous year, the following being, the |,riuci|>al items: 1920 15’21. 8 8 Blanks and hoards Fir ----- 4,738,7.20 Bine 22.8(«>.(i12 23.17> 1.37,0 K|>ruee 37.421.032 30.820,402 other 14,993.919 7.07,9.97,2 Timber, square Douglas lir 777.177 1.293.7,24 I .a Ills 3,098.h| 1 3.707.83(1 Shingles 10.848.002 9.2311.7,91 Shooks 7,17.41 V 1.008.390 Bui pit nod 5,.101,803 21 ..,13.394 Tn New Zealand, the kauri pine is tlm most important timber tree, end! constitutes! the greatest part- of the wood exported from that country. The nro:»t lonidjth mttl width of tho trunks, tlmir soundness, uniformity, freedom from knots and faults, and the iiernhilitv and good working qualities of the wood make kauri a most valuable limber. The exports of timber from Sow Zealand tiro mainly to Aiistntia.

and consist principally of white j me, red pine and kauri. The exports of limber from New Zealand in 1920 were valued at £05)7,008, as compared with £439,937, in 1919. The uses of the more important Australian timbers are many and various. There are four varieties of iron’,ark which are used extensively in the build iug of bridges and culverts, for t at I way sleepers and fencing posts, and for framing, naves, spokes, poles n* d shafts in carriage and wagon biuhting. Ironhark beams are of great strength. Queensland possesses a wide rang' of useful timbers, both in hard woods and soft wends. AVitli the object of initiating a policy of progressive and continuous matin,-I'-nient of the forests, the Victorian Governments have appointed a Coiii'nissiou under the Forests Act, anl as earlv as practicable extensive st hemes fin the development of forest a rears will be undertaken. It is intended to divide each district or forest into suitable units for milling, grazing or #thcr

purposes. The exports of limber, dressed, Horn the Coninmnwealth of Australia dining 1919-20 amounted in value to CM '79 a a compared uitli £7.034 during 191819.

The exports of timber. undressed, from the Commonwealth of Australia during 19151-20 amounted in vr.'ne K> C 407.407,. as compared with £207.720 during 1918-19.

A great variety of timber is available in India, far larger than is generally realized. The most valua’ile is undoubtedly teak, hut to grade the other timbers according to their values is hardly possible. Tn the first i less would l,e included :Sal. Sandal. Sisso, Blackwood. Deodar. Snndri. Andaman and Burma. Bad.iulk. In an Eng, Ironwood Red Sandeiis. Ix'hair and Babul.

The exports of teak wood from India during the year 1920 were 7,1.4 19 cubic tons, valued at £1.37,1.127. as < omjx.tred with 47.493 etihie tons, ’aim'd at £1.139.773. in 1919. Nearly 70 per rent, was reieived by the EniU'd Kingdom.

The exports of lumber from (Mid Coast during 15119 iimounted to |0 IJC.27,0 ft. valued at £103,238. as compared with 14.(180,823ft. valued at £137.(i IS. in 1918.

Rhodesia possesses in parts imieli valuable native tinder, tihieli, ,so |ar has bei'ti little ex|,loited. Rhodesia teak and mahogany arc fairly well-kieiwn. and a great deal excellent and handsome furniture has been made from thisr woods, and some really lirst-tlass results call he seen in Bulawayo.

Ex| oris ol unmaniifiu tured ivt-to! from S<enhci it Rhode-in in 1920 were 111.7,10 etihie feet, valued at C'i>.!)29 run'jiared with 7,0.380 cubic feet, valueJ at £13.307. ill the |>rovinus teal'.

In British Guiana the cut ~f • , i- 11 - heart fioui the Clown forests hi ’919 totalled .Vili.li7l etlliic feet, an ire-ease ol al'imf 19 p : r , enl . n "i |h" out j,'it in 1918. Their uas also an inrre.ee in the output ~f hardwoods to th" eilent of 13,077) cubic feet, the total being 88.312 euliir feel. The ex porta l,|c surplus ol man,Move i„,!e- in Ihe British East Africa and Cgan,la Bioleetorale iiiireas"d :u vein,' Irani £l-1. Ilf t in 1917-18 to Clo.sdJ in 1918-19. The attention ~| the South .ifriea'n Di‘|>artnient of Industries has been drawn to the possibilities of utilixitqj the timber of Hie etiealyplus saligna. for papet'-uiaking, and a sample has been despatehed In England for the tl f| ~ of a test. The tree grows quickly, reaching maturity in ahuiii. seven or eight years. At |.resent the limber is used in South Africa mainly for the manufacture of fruit boxes. r nmsßom