48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



tematic plan for the recordiug of data of de- 

 murrage claims in a manner to satisfy the 

 requirements of the railroad and so obviate all 

 controversy which so seriously hampers trade. 

 A copy of this book with full details as to cost, 

 etc., is in the hands of John H. Lank, secre- 

 tary of the exchange. 



At this meeting the question of changing 

 paragraph C of the 1910 rules for the inspec- 

 tion of short leaf pine plank and dimension 

 sizes, adopted at the conference held by repre- 

 sentatives of the North Carolina Pine Associa- 

 tion and various eastern lumber e.i;changes at 

 Washington, J). C. was brought up and a new 

 paragraph for adoption in its place was sub- 

 mitted by the North Caroliqa Pine Association. 

 After a careful discussion by a number of the 

 members present it was decided that the ex- 

 change declined to sanction the change of the 

 article as adopted in 1910 rules. 



The meeting had been notified that the ques- 

 tion, "Is Philadelphia prepared for the opening 

 of the Panama Canal?" would be brought up for 

 discussion, and I'rederick S. Underhill opened 

 the debate with an interesting sketch of the 

 canal, which is approaching completion and 

 which will prove of such Incalculable advantage 

 to the commerce of the world. He reminded 

 those present that the merchants on the Pacific 

 coast arc replacing the old wooden docks and 

 piers with concrete constructions, deepening the 

 channels and preparing generally for increased 

 business. Boston needs no urging to make ready 

 for D«ew trade and facilitate shipping, and 

 Baltimore is testing her wharfage, and organiz- 

 ing new steamship lines to run direct from the 

 Paciec coast via the Panama Canal, to her 

 ports. Mr. Underhill advised the members to 

 consult together on the subject and ascertain. 

 If as a body of business men, they are prepared 

 for an increase of shipping. President MacBride 

 here took the occasion to announce that the 

 new administration which went Into effect on 

 Dec. 4 had pledged itself to put in the best 

 condition tlie harbors and docks of the city. 

 The subject was further discussed by Owen M. 

 Bruner, who explained that not alone would 

 lumber be brought from the Pacific coast 

 through th"e canal at a thirty-cent rate, but the 

 arising competition would force a reduction In 

 railroad charges, which at present are conceded 

 to be exorbitant. It should also be considered, 

 he said, that in the new state of affairs the 

 eastern lumber merchants would be able to sell 

 Pacific coast lumber, hundreds of miles inland, 

 at a reasonable profit. 



The discussion resulted in a resolution author- 

 izing President MacBride to appoint a commit- 

 tee, composed of five members of the exchange, 

 with the object of considering the preparation 

 of Philadelphia for the opening of the Panama 

 canal : also, it should devolve upon the commit- 

 tee to urge the other trade bodies to Join In the 

 work. 



Liverpool Market 



Alfred Dobell i Co., Liverpool, under date of 

 Dec. 1, advise that a satisfactory lumber de- 

 mand prevailed during November; that the sup- 

 plies came forward moderately ; that values 

 were very firm, and in some articles an advance 

 was established ; and that stocks generally are 

 now within healthy limits. 



In mahogany they report an Import during 

 November of 1.128 African logs, and that the 

 November auction sales were well attended and 

 the catalogues were practically cleared under 

 vplrlted competition at extcllent prices. 



Benin and Lagos wood were In demand, and 

 values even firmer than previous sales. This 

 •ompetltlon prevailed with other African va- 

 rieties. 



The report says there have been no arrivals of 

 Mexican wood for some time and the market is 

 bare of stock. The same is true of Honduras, 

 Guatemalan and Nicarnguan woods, and there 

 Is a very small stock of Cuban mahogany. For 

 San Domingo mahogany there Is a demand only 



for large sized logs of a figured character and 

 these command high prices. 



In Spanish cedar receipts for the month were 

 208 Cuban logs, and shipments of medium to 

 large sized, sound, straight logs wo\ild obtain 

 good prices. 



Uosewood is seldom inquired lor. Iticlily 

 figured satinwood and plain logs from medium 

 to largo dimensions realize good prices, but logs 

 of small size are neglected. 



There is a steady demand for high-grade 

 lignum-vitae at fair prices. 



The report alleges that there is a good sale 

 at the present time for high-class southern oak 

 logs. It notes that the arrivals of oak wagon 

 plunk during the month have been moderate, 

 and that prices are advancing, induced by an 

 increased consumption. The arrivals of oak 

 coffin plauks have been light aud shipments of 

 prime quality aud good speclHcatious are sale- 

 able at firm figures, but inferior wood is not 

 wanted. 



The arrival of walnut logs has been moderate. 

 There is a good inquiry for large prime quality 

 walnut logs and good prices are obtained for 

 parcels of this description. The import of black 

 walnut plauks and boards has been moderate aud 

 prices are unchanged. 



The report alleges that red gum boards con- 

 tinue in good demand at firm figures ; that for 

 poplar logs there Is a fair Inquiry for first-class 

 stock, but indicates an over-supply of poplar 

 logs from the Mobile district. Poplar planks 

 aud boards have arrived in fair quantities with 

 unchanged prices. The demand for tupelo is 

 quiet. 



The arrivals of oak and hickory logs have 

 been light, aud stocks are within a limited com- 

 pass. 



The demand for ash lumber is quiet and un- 

 changed in value. 



Cypress lumber seems to be in fair demand, 

 but stocks are ample for the limited require- 

 ments. 



Biltinore Doings 



Biltinore Uoiugs fur November, showing the 

 recent work of the Biltmore Forest School in 

 Germany, slates that the school is well estab- 

 lished in its winter quarters at Darmstadt. 

 Here the students have every facility for woods 

 work and technical study, as they have the 

 privilege of using the facilities of the famous 

 Darmstadt Polotechnic school for their inside 

 work. 



In speaking of the woods surrounding Danns- 

 stadt, they are described as old stands of pine 

 containing from 10,000 to 15,000 board feet per 

 acre, which were raised from scattered pine 

 cones. 



I'ine in Germany is used, as in America, for 

 construction purposes. Logs fifteen inches In 

 diameter are worth in tlie woods, five miles from 

 the railroad, !f20 to $35 a thousand feet. The 

 smaller stuff Is made into box lumber, or coop- 

 erage stock and brings from $10 to ?12. 



The students recently took a week's trip to 

 the Spessart mountains near Darmstadt, when' 

 they made a careful analysis of white oak. The 

 while oak of this territory is identical with the 

 Kngllsh white oak and Is an excellent wood, 

 furnishing probably the most valuable oak 

 veneer logs In the world. While there is plenty 

 of this white oak left, the state of Bavaria, 

 which owns It, will sell no more than a small 

 annual percentage of the entire stumpage. This 

 results in extremely high prices. Logs flflien 

 miles from the railroad come to an average 

 figure of $280 per thousand feet, aud the lop 

 figure for the choicest logs is ¥585 In the woods. 

 Individual trees very often have a price In ex- 

 cess of $1,000. With such prices prevailing, the 

 occurrence of a mast year of the oak, tlie year 

 when the acorns arc plentiful. Is eagerly looked 

 forward to by forest owners. Forlunadly a 

 mast year occurred this year, and the sludenls 

 were given an o|)portunlty to study at first 

 hand German planting methods. 



A number of stands of white oak cruised by 

 the students in the Spessart mountains, showed 

 the following results : Stands 105 years old con- 

 tain an average of 203 trees to the acre or 

 13,083 board feet : stands 250 years old con- 

 tain 07 trees to the acre, or 45,600 feet board 

 measure. The majority of the trees are tall and 

 contain three or four saw logs. 



In addition to the woods work, the students 

 have had considerable drilling in lumber in- 

 spection on a quantity of .\merican lumber 

 shipped especially for their use. Dr. Schcnck, 

 the director of the school, is lecturing at pres- 

 ent on sylviculture, and Dr. House is engaged in 

 his drendrology course. 



C. L. Willey Home from Europe 



C. L. Willey, the big veneer producer of Chi- 

 cago, returned on Sunday inorning, Dec. 17, 

 from a two months' European trip, during 

 which time he has been remarkably busy. He 

 attended several of the auction sales at Liver- 

 pool, and succeeded in digging up more than a 

 thousand desirable sticks of mahogany, as well 

 as several choice lots of Circassian logs, involv- 

 ing 728 pieces in all. 



Mr. Willey also had the good fortune to 

 market at satisfactory prices 271 carloads of 

 three and four inch poplar, from the stock of 

 the wood that he bought from the Singer Manu- 

 facturing Company last spring. This sale in- 

 volves more than five and a half million feet, 

 while his purchases of mahogany and Cir- 

 cassian figure up to about $150,000. 



Mr. Willey's home-coming was tragically in- 

 terrupted, as when he arrived at New York 

 the latter part of last week he was advised of 

 the death of his brother, L. G. Willey of Pitts- 

 burgh, formerly of Willey Brothers, proprietors 

 of tlie National Box Company. Mr. Willey's 

 brother was sixty-one years old and retired 

 from active business five years ago. 



1912 Calendar Crop 



Hardwood Record wishes to acknowledge re- 

 ceipt during the last fortnight of many works 

 of art in the form of calendars for the coming 

 year, and among them are the following ; 



The Willlamson-Kuny Mill & Lumber Com- 

 pany's calendar show-s views of its ofiiccs and 

 yards at Mound City, III., where it manu- 

 factures southern hardwood lumber ami high- 

 grade oak veneers and has an annual capacity 

 of 15,000,000 feet. It also bears the photo- 

 graphs of A. W. Williamson and F. J. Kuny of 

 the company, so that anyone in the hardwood 

 industry who Is not acquainted with these 

 gentlemen at present, may recognize them the 

 first time they catch a glance of them. 



Duhlmeler Bros., manufacturers of hardwood 

 Unnber, Cincinnati, O., have sent to their friends 

 in the trade "with best wishes for a happy 

 and prosperous 1912" a most artistic calendar. 

 The color scheme chosen for this is blue and 

 white and is very effective. 



There is also one from the Garetson-G reason 

 Lumber Company of St. Louis, Mo., which de- 

 picts a society belle, the original painting of 

 which was one of Relatld's. 



James Kennedy & Co. Ltd., "home and foreign 

 timber •merchants," with head ofllces at 6!> 

 Buchanan street, Glasgow, Scotland, have sent 

 out a calendar portraying woods life, and re- 

 productions from photographs ot fine lots of 

 walnut logs and plain white oak, as well as 

 scenes at their various yards. 



Prom the Midland Lumber Company, Parkers- 

 burg, W. Ya., has been received a large sized 

 picture which makes one long for the "good old 

 siunnier time," when one Is engaged in catcblngr 

 twi'iily-pounders. 



Ship-Building Statistics for 1909 

 A recent government report on shipbuilding 

 in this country for 1900 shows that the num- 

 ber ot establishments Increased twenly-thrce 

 per cent and the capital Invested four per cent 

 as compared with figures for 1Q04. Tlic value 



