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GERMAN CONSUMPTION 



A steadily increasing lumber consumption in Germany has 

 resulted in the establishment of an import trade into that coun- 

 try of various Uinds of forest products from all over Europe and 

 from the United States. Primarily, the northern continental 

 woods as shipped into the German market are used for structural 

 purposes and come mainly from Coniferae. It is a fact that deliv- 

 eries from Norway are growing less, while the finest qualities of 

 Swedish woods are now brought in from the Gefle Soderhamn and 

 Suudsvall districts. White pine is sold from that section to the 

 German market almost entirely unassorted, while pitch pine is 

 often assorted. It is evident that the future development of the 

 northern wood trade for Germany will be in Finland and Russia. 

 From St. Petersburg, fine cabinet woods and high-grade planing 

 woods are marketed for the German trade. In consequence of 

 Russia's great wealth in forests, her lumbermen can furnish stock 

 of dimensions difficult to obtain elsewhere on the continent. Ger- 

 many takes from Finland, in addition to its sawed wood, large 

 quantities of hewn square rafters and Finish rafters. A large 

 percentage of the imports belongs to the Rhine, where the north- 

 ern wood can compete with German lumber up to Karlsruhe. 



The American species of hard and soft woods are coming into 

 consideration as of extreme importance in the German lumber 

 trade. The ^-ellow pine of the South, from Gulfport and Savannah, 

 in the shape of logs, square timber and manufactured lumber, 

 makes up about eighty per cent of the whole soft wood trade from 

 this country to Germany. With the short leaf North Carolina 

 pine, the boards are more saleable than timbers, while cypress 

 exported via New Orleans and Savannah is almost always in 

 boards and planks. 



Among the hardwoods shipped from the United States to Ger- 

 many, white and red oak commands an important position. It is 

 shipped from gulf ports, principally as boards, but occasionally 

 in the form of timber and logs. American ash is exported via 

 New Orleans, and Texas ports, and enters Germany mainly in the 

 form of bolts. The same is true of hickory. The German eon- 

 sumption of maple is mainly in the form of boards and planks, 

 and is shipped from this country principally from New York and 

 Norfolk. Considerable planed lumber for flooring is also con- 

 sumed. Shipments of black walnut are generally made through 

 the gulf ports and less often from the Atlantic coast ports. This 

 wood enters Germany usually in hewn timber or in boards. Yel- 

 low poplar, known in foreign markets as white wood, is con- 

 sumed by the German trade principally in board form, though the 

 importation of poplar logs from Norfolk, Savannah, Baltimore and 

 the gulf ports has increased remarkably. Cottonwood, Tupelo 

 gum and red gum are marketed through gulf ports and in the 

 form of boards. 



A report from the American consul at Hamburg says that there 

 soft wood is handled only as sawn timber, while hardwood is sold 

 in the log, by the Scribner-Doyle rule. Lumber is bought by 

 the thousand superficial feet. The grades correspond with Ameri- 

 can grades in hardwood in the Hamburg district. The demand is 

 principally for firsts and seconds, and is less for the other grades. 

 Prices are governed by various conditions, and fluctuate according 

 to ocean freight rates, and market at shipping points. The consular 

 report says that of the three grades distinguished, heart, heart- 

 face and sap, the requirements of the Hamburg market are mostly 

 for sixty per cent sap, ten per cent heart-face, and thirty per 

 cent heart. This in the main is the condition of the consuming 

 market throughout the whole region of the Elbe river. 



It is contended that the importation of American lumber into 

 Germany will never influence the purchase of northern Continental 

 wood to any extent, because of the excellent quality and low price 

 of the latter. Hamburg is considered the chief port for hardwood 

 business on the Continent, but it is difficult to sell goods direct 

 from American shippers to German importers as competition with 



the relatively cheap stocks lying iu Hamburg iin consignment 

 leaves little profit. 



FORESTS OF AUSTRIA HUNGARY 



The oak forests of Slavonia arc conceded to be to that country 

 what the forests of the Mississippi valley and of the Asiatic Cauca- 

 sus are to those sections. The Jihj'sical quality of the wood pro- 

 duced in the Slavonian forests renders it particularly adapted to 

 high-class cabinet work. Trees of this region are of unusually 

 large size and sound quality. 



Stagnation in the oak trade of Slavonia resulted in the timber 

 from this territory being sold in 1910 at pubic auction, at which 

 some remarkably high prices were paid. These forests contain 

 hundreds of thousands of acres of high-grade timber of various 

 ages, and if properly handled could supplj- the Continent's need 

 for the next thirt.y years. 



WALNUT IN ENGLAND 

 Attempts have been made from time to time by various British 

 gun manufacturers to use American walnut for gun stocks, but 

 the results have invariably proved unsatisfactory, not because of 

 lack of durability and strength, but because of the absence of yel- 

 low and light brown streaking which has been so desirable for 

 gun stocks. Heretofore the walnut used for this purpose in Eng- 

 land has come from Italy, Switzerland and France. In Italy it 

 is said that the source of supply is entirely exhausted, with the 

 result that the supply now comes almost entirely from France. 

 Prices as a consequence have become prohibitive during the last 

 three years. In addition walnut has been introduced very exten- 

 sively in France for veneering purposes, from which a larger rev- 

 enue can be derived. As a consequence it is more tha^i likely that 

 the consumption of American walnut for English gun stocks will 

 soon provide a regulnr and assured market. 



FLOORING IN ITALY AND S'WITZERLAND 



The use of wood flooring is decidedly on the increase in Italy, 

 taking the place of the former demand for marble, tiling and 

 cement. Oak, larch and pitch pine are principally used, with but 

 a very slight consumption of maple, birch and beech. There are a 

 number of large manufacturers of flooring in Lombardy and Pied- 

 mont in Italy, who supply the demand, and the question of the 

 successful introduction of American flooring will depend largely 

 upon quality and price. Ordinary oak flooring costs iu Genoa 

 about $1.60 per square meter. 



From the consul at Basel, Switzerland, comes the information 

 that maple as a lumber or flooring wood is practically unknown in 

 that country, but that it should receive favorable attention if 

 properly introduced. He suggests as the most effective way of 

 arousing interest, that samples of the American product be ex- 

 hibited. 



TIMBER RESOURCES IN INDO CHINA 



There are about six hundred different kinds of woods known in 

 Indo-China, all of which are employed locally in various industries. 

 Already a number of companies are interested in the exploitation 

 of Indo-China forests. They represent ample capital and possess 

 plants and equipments of the most modern type. In the main the 

 tracts are privately owned, and in some cases sawmills are sep- 

 arate institutions, which buy logs from the timber holders. The 

 majority of the woods are on the general nature of American 

 hardwoods, and most of them are suitable for cabinet purposes, 

 being of excellent texture and readily accepting a high polish. 

 They are used for all kinds of cabinet and buildi:ig purposes, as 



well as for firewood, etc. 



On the whole, the export lumber trade from this country is satis- 

 factory and in many instances American houses report their foreign 

 business as much better than the home department. With the in- 

 creasing importance of that branch of the industry, it behooves 

 American exporters to take every advantage of foreign information 

 on file with the Department of Commerce and Labor at Washington. 



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