C.—4.

100

According to these statements, the timber-supply of the United States will be insufficient to meet demands, in nine years as a minimum, and in thirty-three years as a maximum. On the 24th April, 1907, the United StatesJGovernment sent out another publication, entitled " The Timber-supply of the United States." There we find such statements as these : " Rapidly as the population of the United States has increased, the lumber-consumption has increased still more rapidly. In round numbers, and allowing for incomplete reports, the lumber cut in 1880 was 18 billion feet; in 1890, 24 billion feet; and in 1900, 35 billion feet. The increase in population from 1880 to 1900 was 52 per cent., and lumber cut increased 94 per cent. The United States is now using annually 400 broad feet of lumber per capita, whilst the average for Europe is but 60 feet per capita. . . . It has been shown that the present annual cut of forest-products requires at least 20 billion cubic feet of wood. To produce this quantity of wood without impairing the capital stock our 700 million acres of forest must make an annual increment of 30 cubic feet per acre. Under present conditions of mismanagement and neglect it is safe to say that the average annual increment is less than 10 cubic feet per acre. This means that each year's cut at the present rate takes the growth of more than three years." Miscellaneous Notes. The railway companies use 110,000,000 to 150,000,000 railway ties (sleepers) annually at the present time. About 40 per cent, is oak, 20 per cent, southern pine, and the remainder comprises Douglas fir, cypress, tamarack, hemlock, cedar, beech, and other experimental woods. (New York Tribune, 6th March, 1909.) Professor Henry Garnett, of the United States Geological Survey staff, in 1905 estimated the wooded area of the United States at over a million square miles, which is about one-third of the total area of the country, and thought that on this area there stood about 2,500,000,000,000 ft. of merchantable timber. The annual growth at 3 per cent, would yield 75,000,000,000 ft. of merchantable timber. This estimate, however, has been strongly challenged as being far in 'excess of actual facts. In 1907 the States imported timber to the value of £9,916,875, and exported timber to the value of £17,933,958 (excluding paper)

(C.) CANADA'S FOREST WEALTH AND TIMBER INDUSTRY. [By Th. dk Schryvek, Auckland.] Canada's forest wealth is simply " immense." Though the Canadian Government through its Forestry and Survey Departments has succeeded in compiling fairly reliable statistics with regard to the extent of forest lands, it is hardly possible to make even a rough estimate of all the available timber. Tremendous areas, covered with, virgin bush, bear on the map the significant label " Unexplored." It will take many years yet before anything more definite will be known about these still-dormant lands. Trappers and hunters have crossed and recrossed these vast wildernesses, and much of the knowledge we have gained comes from this source, but naturally this information has relatively little value from a statistical, scientific, and economic standpoint. No doubt when the easily accessible forests have been worked out, which will still take many many years to come, the " unexplored " bush will have to give up the secrets of its dark interior. " The total forest-area of Canada is estimated at 1,657,600,000 acres (exceeding that of the United States and Europe combined), and of this British Columbia has 182,750,000 acres." The above figures do not include unsurveyed timber land, and I trust I am not far out in estimating the total timber area of Canada at two billion square acres. Taking the low average of 30,000 ft. per acre, the board-measure figure in feet is hardly conceivable —60,000,000,000,000. (" Board foot" is equivalent to ** superficial foot.") British Columbia, as stated before, is in the best position to supply New Zealand with buildingtimbers. Australia, Africa, South America, Japan, and China, draw enormous quantities from this region, against which the exports to New Zealand appear insignificant. There are in all about 160 sawmills in British Columbia. Out of these there are at present about forty-five mills in the interior, with a combind output of about 280,000,000 ft. annually, representing an investment of nearly $10,000,000. They pay out for wages and supplies $2,500,000 annually. These mountain-mills look almost entirely to the prairie country for their market. The largest mills are round the coast, and their equipments are the most up to date. Lumber Export from Canada. Value,. Year ended Articles. 31st March, 1908. Logs and round manufactured timber,— $ Elm .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ' .. .. 18,967 Hemlock ~ .. .. .. .. ~ .. .. 31,489 Oak .. ..... .. .. .. .. ~ .. 2,796 Pine .. .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . 2,894 Spruce .. .. ... .. , . .. .. , . .. 101,231 Tamarack. . .. . . . . All other .. .. .. .. .. .. . . ~ .. 541,761