30 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



A thermometer should be kept in the tank in order to determine 

 whether or not the temperature is being properly maintained. The 

 use of these two instruments is one of the principal safeguards, 

 and will go a long way toward insuring complete success. 



The arrangement of the tank within the mill is also desirable, so 

 that the lumber can be run through the solution while on the chute. 

 The chains can be so arranged that when a wood which is not to 

 be dipped is being cut, connection with the tank can be cut out 

 and the lumber proceed as usual. It has been noted that the loca- 

 tion of the soda dipping tank varies considerably, and it ought to 

 be an easy matter to determine just which is the best place, and 

 then locate it there uniformly. 



"We find that soda dipping costs us about ten cents a thousand 

 feet," said one of the successful manufacturers in the gum coun- 

 try. ' ' This is pretty high, compared with the results reported by 

 some other lumbermen. However, if we can get good lumber and 

 avoid staining at a cost of ten cents, we are willing to pay it, 

 especially as some mills where six or seven cents is the cost per 

 thousand have not been able to get uniformly good results." 



As indicated above, those who have had most success with new 

 ideas have made a point of visiting mills where the processes are in 

 use, examining th«m thoroughly and then adopting the ideas 

 bodily, if they have proved successful. The point is that personal 

 inspection of this kind is extremely valuable, and the survey of a 

 number of plants, with a compilation of the results at each mill, 



is sure to be suggestive and helpful. Practically every sawmill 

 man, of course, is willing to give others in the business all the 

 pointers he can from his own experience; so that pooling the 

 results gained by everybody and evolving a standard method which 

 will be available for all is by no means impracticable. 



This idea of doing the thing right in all of its various details 

 becomes a matter of importance, especially in connection with 

 the use of expensive equipment. For example, the writer knows 

 of a certain lumber company which is thinking of installing a 

 system for curing lumber by steam under pressure. In order to 

 know just what it could be expected to do, he visited several 

 plants where similar systems were in use; but he found that 

 irregular methods were being used, uniformity of operation, even 

 in a single plant, was lacking, and consequently the imperfect 

 results reported by one or two concerns were obviously, or at least 

 apparently, caused by failure to carry out the idea exactly. Hence 

 the experience of the present users of this system cannot be relied 

 upon absolutely by the man who is trying to get at the facts. 



Lumbermen will make great strides in the business of producing 

 the best lumber for the least money when they learn that stand- 

 ardization is the big principle back of most industries; and that 

 personal idiosyncrasies and peculiarities ought to be eliminated 

 and the work done in exactly the right way, that way to be 

 determined bv the experience of all, and ajiplied by all. 



G. D. C, Jr. 



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The Flood Situation 



The pojiular interest in the flood situation has been shifted 

 during the last two weeks from the miildlewestern states to 

 Arkansas, Mississippi and the other states bordering on the lower 

 Mississippi river. On the whole the situation appears far more 

 favorable than had been anticipated. Conditions are rapidly right- 

 ing themselves in the niiddlewostcrn states. 



At Louisville the flood situation is practically a matter of his- 

 tory. Most of the large lumber concerns in that city are well 

 straightened out and are getting their lumber re-piled in good 

 form. One of the most serious features of the flood along the 

 Ohio was the fact that thousands of logs were carried away from 

 various points along the river. Jt is hardly probable that there 

 is any chance of recovering any of the logs carried' away as in 

 most cases the booms were completely demolished. 



At Cincinnati incessant rainy weather following the flood made 

 it extremely difficult to accomplish much in the way of cleaning 

 up stock and re-piling. Most of the Cincinnati yards so secured 

 their piles with booms before the floods came that practically noth- 

 ing was actually carried away. Efforts are now being concen- 

 trated on straightening up piles and cleaning up stock. 



The main efl'ect the flood situation had on the Pittsburgh trade 

 seems to have been in the matter of alfecting its business with 

 outside yard concerns and getting their supiilies from Pittsburgh. 

 The impossibility of readjusting the yards and the business details 

 up to this time have resulted in holding off shipments on a great 

 deal of stock whicli would have gone out some time ago. 



Weather conditions in the Memphis section during the past few 

 days have b?en quite favorable, and this has been a factor which has 

 been of much service to lumber interests. There is a great deal of 

 low land in the Mississippi valley which is under water and in which 

 practically nothing can be done; but there is considerable timber 

 which is so located that it can be gotten out, and this work is making 

 reasonably good progress. The e.vcellent weather, too, has facilitated 

 the production of hardwood lumber at those (ilants not interfered 

 with by high water in the Mississippi and its tributaries. 



There is no doubt that production has been considerably curtailed 

 as a result of the flood conditions ill the Mississippi, but the fact 

 remains that conditions are much more favorable in several impor- 

 tant respects than last year. In the first instance the mills were 

 well supplied with timber and those not interfered with by the higli 



water have been able to continue operations. In the second place 

 the flooded area has not covered anything like as large a territory 

 as was the case last year. In the third place those mills which have 

 not been interfered with by high water have been able to continue 

 shipping, as there has been comparatively little interruption to the 

 handling of both inbound and outbound shi]unents. In the fourth 

 j)lace, lumbermen jirofited by their experience of last year and in 

 the majority of instances removed their timber to higher ground, 

 thus placing it where it would be out of danger of overflow. There 

 are perhaps some other respects in which conditions are better this 

 year than last, but these are the principal phases of the situation. 



There is no doubt that there has been a very decided curtailment 

 of the output in this territory even though it has not been as large 

 as last year. A number of mills havo been closed down at Memphis 

 proper, as indicated in the last issue of the Hardwood Record, and the 

 uimdjer closed down at points outside of i\Iein]>his is being increased 

 as the levee breaks at new jilaces. Plants are now out of commission 

 at Wilson, Madison, Turrell. Proctor, Marked Tree, Earl, Blythe- 

 ville and at a number of other points in eastern Arkansas. On the 

 Mississippi side, however, there have been no breaks in the levee 

 system so far and the consequent interference with lumber produc- 

 ti(in has been unimportant. Some empha,sis is being laid upon the 

 effect of this restriction of production upon prices. It is generally 

 conceded that the market will work to a higher level before it is pos- 

 sible to bring stocks back to normal conditions. 



An additional clement in the price making factor is the large de- 

 mand for hardwood lumber as well as for building materials of all 

 kinds from the flooded districts in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and other 

 states. The call for hardwoods is more aggressive than it has been 

 for quite a while and those firms which are not interfered with by 

 high water and which have their stock clear are making shipments 

 on as liberal a scale as possible. A number of firms here, which are 

 handicapped by the high water or impaired switching fat'ilities, are 

 having to turn down business every day. They foresee marked activ- 

 ity, however, as soon as they are in position to. take care uf shi]imi>nts 

 promptly. 



Another serious feature of the situation is seen in the fact that 

 as a result of the floods and rains following their recession, the 

 country roads are impassable, and the hauling of logs in and of 

 lumber out has been seriouslv checked. 



