HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



Gates and fencing KOO.OOO 43.01) 



Ship and boat building 535,000 54.86 



Weighing apparatus 496,000 39.21 



Miscellaneous uses 400,500 34.78 



Cigar boxes 320,250 62.80 



Musical instruments 89,000 50.35 



Trunks 02,000 25.65 



Totals 262,596,757 J30.92 



The sawmills of Iowa cut less than one-fourth as much lumber as 

 the factories use. The output of the mills is declining rapidly, and 

 the number of mills is decreasing. In 1909 the cut was 132,021,000 

 feet, in 1910 it fell to 75,446,000, and in 1911 to 59,974,000. The 

 largest recorded cut was 56S,S16,000 feet in 1890. There were 350 

 reporting mUls in 1909, 1S6 in 1910, and 160 in 1911. The state is 

 losing ranis in lumber cut, compared with other states. It was 

 thirty-sixth in 1909, thirty-seventh in 1910, and thirty-eighth in 1911. 

 The cut of lumber in the state in 1911 was as follows: 



Llmbek Cct in Iowa, 1911 „ ^ 



Feet 



White pine 32,8S5 000 



Oak 7,480,000 



Elm 6,309,000 



Cottonwood 5,452,000 



Maple 3,168,000 



Basswood 2,103,000 



Birch 714,000 



Black walnut 594,000 



Ash 557,000 



Hickor.v 374,000 



Sycamore 144,000 



Larch 16,000 



AH other 178,000 



Total 59,974,000 



According to the best available figures, the timbered area of Iowa 

 amounts to 2,500,000 aeies, or approximately seven per cent of the 

 total area. The timber is almost exclusively of the mixed hardwood 

 type. The species of most importance are the white oak, red oak, bur 

 oak, yellow oak and swamp white oak, the pignut and bitternut hick- 

 ories, white and green ash, black walnut, basswood, white, red and cork 

 elms, Cottonwood, black willow, hard and soft maples, sycamore, 

 hackberry, lumey locust and coffee tree. The valuable oaks and the 

 walnut were cut especially heavy at an early date. Among the coni- 

 fers two species have been found in commercial quantities in Iowa, 

 white pine (Pinus strohus) and red cedar (Juniperus virniniana). 

 The very limited occurrence of balsam fir (Abies halsamea) is only 

 of botanical importance. Small stands of the pine occurring in the 

 northeastern part of the state were early lumbered. The range of 

 the cedar extends to aU parts of the commonwealth. Valuable stands 

 which were found along the Cedar and Iowa rivers were early ex- 

 ploited. 



The average woodlands of the state are producing only about thirty 

 per cent of their possible output of wood products. With little or no 

 protection from fire or stock, the native timber is reproducing poorly, 

 and many stands are characterized by the absence of young growth. 



From early times Iowa has been active in planting timber. The 

 woodlots in most instances were for providing shelter, fuel and re- 

 pair material. In few cases were the plantings made for strictly 

 commercial purposes. In 1863 the state census reported a total of 

 8,360 acres in planted groves and woodlots. In 1867 this area had 

 increased to 14,128 acres; in 1875 to 65,549 acres; and at the present 

 date the estimated acreage in planted timber is 210,000 acres. The 

 first plantations were composed of the rapidly growing species, Cot- 

 tonwood, white mllow, soft maple, and ash. Many of these groves 

 have matured and have been harvested. The eottonwood especially 

 has given very satisfactory returns, when given reasonable protection 

 and care. At the present time the farm plantations are being set out 

 largely for the production of fence posts since there is a steady 

 demand for this product from all quarters of the state. The hardy 

 catalpa is the species most planted for this purpose, although failures 

 are common when the tree is planted in poor soil or out of range. 



White pine is recommended for planting in Iowa as shelterbelts 

 and for lumber. Some plantings have shown good results. The tree 

 is found as a native species throughout the northeastern portions of 

 the state. Its extreme western limit is along the Iowa river near 



iiijMtmboat Hock in Hardin county, where several large trees were 

 recently cut for lumber. It ako occurs south along the Mississippi 

 river to Muscatine county. In the past it has been so heavily lum- 

 bered in the clearing of land for agricultural purposes that it now 

 occurs only as a fugitive tree throughout the native forests of the 

 bluffs of the Mississippi and along the streams and steep slopes of 

 the northeast counties. 



Outlook Around Memphis 



There has been some raiiiiall m the Memphis territory during the 

 past few days, but this has not been heavy enough to interfere with 

 work in the woods, which has made very satisfactory progress. The 

 amount of timber prepared for shipment since the beginning of the 

 new business year has been quite large and the railroads have been 

 moving all offerings with more than usual readiness, with the result 

 that the mills here are in very satisfactory condition with respect to 

 log supplies. The hardwood market is gradually broadening and the 

 large receipts of timber are regarded as quite favorable as the view 

 obtains that large production will be necessary to take care of the 

 increasing needs of the trade. So far there has been little accumula- 

 tion of dry stocks, and members of the trade realize quite fully that 

 it is up to them to prepare for the needs of the future before the 

 unfavorable winter weather makes itself evident. This view of the 

 situation is largely responsible for the unusual activity in logging 

 work, as well as in the operation of the mills in this city and section. 



The car situation has become a little more acute at outlying points 

 in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, but as a general proposition 

 it is far better than the average for the past few years. The Southern 

 Hardwood Traffic Bureau says that it is receiving a number of com- 

 plaints from out-of-town centers, but it is notable that local lumber 

 manufacturers are having comparatively little trouble in getting 

 empties or in having these moved after they have been loaded. The 

 height of the cotton movement will be reached during the next four 

 or five weeks, however, and as the crop in this section is very large, it 

 is expected that some shortage will develop and that there wUl be 

 some delay in the handling of traffic offered the various roads. Re- 

 ceipts of cotton at Memphis during the week just ended broke all 

 records for this time of the year and indications are that the amount 

 of cotton moving in the immediate future will tax the capacity of the 

 roads to an unusual degree. But, while the lumbermen are expecting 

 some trouble, the opinion seems to prevail that the situation as a 

 whole this season will prove much better than any recent year. 



Official reports made public here indicate that during the first 

 ten months of the current year building operations involved the largest 

 total on record for the same period, practically $5,500,000. This is 

 a percentage gain of fifty-nine, which is also something of a new high 

 record. This is the best showing made by any city in the South, not 

 only with respect to the total involved but also with regard to the 

 percentage increase. This showing is considered all the more remark- 

 able in view of the heavy loss recorded for September. Building 

 operations are active here now and the same is true of practically 

 the entire Memphis territory, where the cotton crop is very large 

 and where prosperity promises to perch her banner this season in a 

 most conspicuous manner. Every indication points to large needs 

 locally and territorially with regard to building materials of all 

 kinds and handlers of these wares are shaping their plans accordingly. 



Practical Men 



Henry S, Graves of the United States Forest Service is inclined 

 to grow satiracal in a recent bulletin which he published, and from 

 which these quotations are taken: 



"In a country ot practical men occur forest Are losses of some fifty 

 million dollars annuall.v. 



"In a country of practical men unsound forest taxation retards long- 

 time forest nianagoment. 



"In a country of practical men millions of acres of cut-over non- 

 agrlcullural land remain unproductive. 



"In a country of practical men a sound economic policy of forest and 

 water conservation is still opposed." 



These quotations are sufiScient to cause a good deal of serious 

 thought. 



