99

C.-4

British Imports and Exports of Timber. Value of Imports. Value of Exports. Year. £ . £ 1903 .. .. .. .. .. •• 27,122,956 51,164 1904 .. .. .. .. .. ■• 23,637,985 67,593 1905 .. ~' .. .. .. .. 23,274,020 77,056 1906 .. .. .. .. .. 27,507,410 91,575 1907 ~ .. •• .. 27,093,054 111,841 Of the timber imported it is estimated that at the present time 87 per cent, is pine and fir, 3 per cent, oak, and 10 per cent, teak, mahogany, and other furniture-woods.

Extent and Percentage of Wooded Area in certain European Countries.

The countries in Europe that export more timber than they import are, — £ Austria-Hungary, exports in 1907. . .. .. .. .. 10,931,000 Norway, exports in 1906 .. .. .. .. .. 4,428,277 Russia, exports in 1907 .. .. .. •. 11,321,750 Spain, exports in 1906 .. .. .. . ... . . 2,833,036 Sweden, exports in 1906 . . ~ . . •. 13,136,943 (wood-pulp) .. .-. .. ■• • ■■ •• 1,513,065

(B.) THE TIMBER-SUPPLY OF THE UNITED STATES.* On the 30th November, 1907, the United States Department of Agriculture, through its Forestry Bureau, published " The Drain upon the Forests," which stated : " The estimates of the forest-area of the United States run from 500 million acres to 700 million acres, and it is safe to say that under present conditions the annual growth does not exceed 60 board feet per acre." [A " board foot" is a piece of timber which is 12 in. square and 1 in. thick.] " This gives in one case a yearly increase of 30 billion feet, and in the other case one of 42 billion feet. In other words it appears that the annual growth of our forests does not exceed the amount of wood used for lumber alone. Considering all the drains upon the forests, the annual consumption of wood is probably three times the annual growth. Assuming a stumpage of 1,400 billion feet, an annual use of 100 billion feet, and neglecting growth in the calculation, the exhaustion of our timber-supply is indicated in fourteen years. Assuming the same use and stand, with an annual growth of 40 billion feet, we have a supply for twenty-three years. Assuming an annual use of 150 billion feet, the first supposition becomes nine years and the second thirteen years. Assuming a stand of 2,000 billion feet, a use of 100 billion feet, and neglecting growth, we have twenty years' supply. Assuming the same conditions, with an annual growth of 40 billion feet, we have thirty-three years' supply.. With an annual use of 150 billion feet, these estimates become respectively, thirteen and eighteen years."

* Information supplied to the British Eoyal Commission on Coast-erosion and Afforestation, l'JOB, by Professor William Somerville

Calculated chiefly from the Agricultural Statistics of the Board of Agriculture, Vol. xiii, 19 published on page 43 of the Journal of the Eoyal Statistical Society, 31st March, 1909.) ; am Country. Total Area. Wooded Area. Per Cent, under Wood. sweden .. Russia in Europe, excluding Poland.. Vustria .. Hungary, including Croatia and Slavonia Germany Switzerland Acres. 101,520,000* 1,244,367,0001 74,102,001' 80.979,000 133.585,000 9,900,160f 76,717,000f 7,277,000 130,374,482 70,787,000$ 8,038,000* ,9,500.000* Acres. 52,734,614 425,564,842 24,174,443 22,262,483 34,569,794 2,176,907 16,845,400 1,259,000 22,224.134 10,266,310 636,299 682,823 Acres. 51-9 34-2 32-6 27-5 25-9 22-0 21-9 17-3 17-0 14-5 7-9 7-2 Norway . . 3elgium .. France .. :taly Netherlands Denmark England Scotland . . tVales .. .reland .. . . .. sle of Man and Channel Islands 32,383,550* 19,070.244* 4,748,624* 20,350,725* 185,754* 1,715,473 868,409 184,361 306,661 869 5-3 4-6 3-9 1-5 05 Jnited Kingdom 76,737,897* 3,075,773 4-0 * Excluding lakes and rivers. I Excluding lakes. J Including lakes.