Lumbering and Forest Products 143 i. New York City and Chicago together demand more than half a million of the straightest and best young trees each Christmas. From what kind of places should these trees be secured ? E. Forestry lessons to be learned from other countries. |. Our forests could yield four times as much as they now do if we gave them scientific care. The rate of annual growth of trees per acre in the United States is about 12 cubic feet. In Germany, where care is scientific, the new growth averages 50 cubic feet. Explain what is meant by * scien- tific care.” Compare the rate at which the forests are being consumed in the follow. ing countries : (a) Great Britain . . . . (b) France . . (¢) Germany . (d) Russia . . (¢) Canada . . . (f) The United States / The United States could reduce her 260 cubic feet to 150 without reduc- ing the supply of wooden products. What becomes of the other 110 cubic feet? F Conservation through treating wood with chemicals to prevent decay. Lumber used where decay is rapid, as in railroad ties, telegraph poles, paving blocks, and piers, should first be made waterproof by being soaked in creosote. Suppose a cedar pole 40 feet long costs $8 and will last about 10 years when exposed to the weather. A pine pole of the same length costs only $5, but decays sooner. However, if the pine pole be treated with creosote at a cost of about $1.60, it will last 20 years. How much money would a company save by using a thousand treated pine poles in place of an equal number made of untreated cedar? What other expense is saved besides the extra cost of the wood ? In what states does the cost of transportation make it especially profit- able to use creosoted pine poles? Choose some members of your class as a committee to find out and re- port how creosote is obtained. G. Topics for special study. 1. The Southern turpentine industry. 2. Control of the browntailed moth and gypsy moth pests. (Year Book, Department of Agriculture, 1916.) The Forestry Department of your state. The National Parks. The work of forest rangers.