Show should lead world in pulp wood crop united states capable of producing own supply washington Washing tonAs As in the production of corn crops the united states can lead the world in the production of timber crops for pulp wood declares the forest service united states department part ment of agriculture in its new publication on pulp wood supplies this report was prepared in coop co op aeration with the american paper and pulp association and represents the most comp comprehensive survey of pulp wood resources ever made in this country it has been printed as a public lic document and Is available tor for general distribution upon request to the forest service washington D 0 to understand the paper and pulp situation now confronting the united states the report says it Is necessary to realize that over 00 per cent of all paper consumed in the united states Is made from wood and that per cent of newsprint news print paper to la so made the consumption of paper in the united states amounts to tons h a year it takes over cords of wood to make this amount at the present time this nation natio a imports over half its paper supply in the form of fint finished shed paper pulp and wood suitable for making pulp but the forest service declares the united states can become independent of foreign countries for its paper supply by first growing larger timber crops on forest laud land second by better utilization of forest products and third by the expansion of papermaking processes so that more species of timber can be used for pulp wood farmer biggest timber owner at the present time the newly published report states the united states contains acres of forest land not needed or taken by agriculture it Is upon these lands that larger timber crops should be grown the farmer la Is the largest single class of timber land owners having bating about acres or one third in the form of small woodlots wood lots tho the potential productivity of this timber land la Is higher than that of any other which Is an important paper producing na tion I 1 the principal species of timber now used in making paper are spruce fir dr hemlock and poplar one reason why the united states Is forced to import over halt half its paper supply Is 11 because of the centralization of the papermaking industry in the northeast and lake states where large stands ot of s spruce pruce fir hemlock and poplar were once available in large quantities but as these timber stands were also called upon to furnish a large share of the count rys lumber supply they have been drained to such an extent that they no longer can meet increasing demands new york ranks first as a paper producing state yet gets over halt half its raw materials from outside pennsylvania ranks second and also has to depend upon outside sources wisconsin Is the third largest paper mak ing r state and it too iss Is forced to go eo outside its boundaries for much of its row raw materials the optimistic note in the report la furnished by the fact that washington oregon california and alaska together with the pine timber in the south still contain softwood soft wood forests which can be utilized for paper malling making it these forests are logged in a wise fashion and protected from the terrible devastation caused by forest fires paper supply Is vital to show the vital necessity for this nation to have ample supplies of paper for all time says a statement from tho the forest service it Is only necessary to point out the fact that our per capita consumption la is twice that of great britain the next largest paper consuming nation social and economic questions would be involved if this count rys supply of paper and paper products were to oe curtailed the public has an interest in this problem which it can help solve by legislation looking to the protection of forest land from fire alre and other forms of devastation and by continued research into methods methodi of timber growing and utilization the paper and pulp industry should to safeguard its own interest assume the leadership in timber growing upon its own forest land and those upon which it I 1 18 dependent for pulpwood supplies |