THE STORY OF HEMLOCK 



587 



mills and likewise its cost delivered at 

 factories in the same States : 



Only in New York and Maryland is 

 the difference between value at the yard 

 and cost at the factory as great as would 

 be expected, and Maryland neither pro- 

 duces nor uses much hemlock. 



In some instances, factories buy their 

 Ijemlock for less than its value in the 

 millyard, because much that they buy 

 was never at a sawmill. It comes to 

 the factory as logs, and at a cost so 

 low that the general average of all pur- 

 chases of hemlock is cut down. In this 

 way some of the apparent inconsisten- 

 cies may be explained. The further 

 fact is brought out also, by inference, 



that the country's sawmill cut of hem- 

 lock does not show the whole produc- 

 tion of this wood. 



The general market buys hemlock in 

 grades, not on mill run. An equitable 

 comparison of prices of this wood with 

 others should be made grade by grade, 

 or as nearly as may be. \Mien the 

 wholesale prices of hemlock are consid- 

 ered on the basis of grades, they are 

 found to be wholly consistent. Differ- 

 ences in prices in different regions are 

 largely accounted for by differences in 

 freight charges. The markets recog- 

 nize Lake States hemlock and Eastern 

 States hemlock. The two may go to 

 the same markets, but usually they do 

 not. Lake States hemlock, two-inch 

 piece stuff, SISIE, 2"x4"— 16', in 1912, 

 was worth $19.39 in New York State, 

 $16.84 in Wisconsin, and $16.52 in 

 Michigan. Rough timbers, 4"x4" to 

 S"x8" — 16', were worth in New York 

 the same year $18.75, in Wisconsin 

 $17.79, and in Michigan $16.85. 



Eastern States hemlock in 1912, of 

 the grade 8/4 merchantable, 4" to 12". 10 

 to 20', was worth $18 in Pennsylvania, 

 $19 in New Hampshire, $16.75 in Ver- 

 mont, and $16.T5 in Maine. These ex- 

 amples suffice to show regional varia- 

 tion in prices. 



