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The Exports of Red Gum 





Latest statistics sliow that red gum is exported tu twenty our ruuii 

 tries direct from tlie United States, and from those I'orcigu centers 

 the wood is distributed to probably as many other countries, liecords 

 of final destination are not kept by customs officials, and from the 

 nature of the case it would be next to impossible to do so. However, 

 a study of consular trade reports, coming from all parts of the 

 world, shows that the wood is making its appearance in many places 

 not named on export lists. 



Several names for the wood are in use, and unless one is familiar 

 with these, he might not recognize red gum when it is mentioned. 

 Satin walnut is a common term for it in England, France and Italy. 

 There is no commercial wood in the world properly called by that 

 name; consequently red gum is not so designated in order to palm it 

 off as something else. The name appears to have been bestowed sim- 

 ply for convenience of trade. The wood's resemblance to Circassian 

 walnut doubtless suggested part of the term, and its soft shades and 

 delicate appearance were responsible for the term satin. 



In England the names hazel, hazelwood and hazel pine are heard. 

 These names nearly always mean red gum, though sometimes other 

 woods are given the same names. They are based on red gum 's 

 botanical relationship with hazel. It is as close akin to the common 

 witch hazel of this country as one cousin to another. 



Eecords of exports group as one all woods commonly called gum, 

 though some of them are only distantly related botanically. Among 

 these aj-e black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), water gum (Nyssa hifiora), 

 sour tupelo (Nyssa ogeclie) and the common tupelo (Nyssa aquatica). 

 These ought not be confused with red gum, for they belong to a 

 different family of trees — the dogwood family — and the wood need 

 never be mistaken for red gum. This explanation is made because in 

 export statistics all gums go in together, though on the other side 

 of the sea there is little likelihood that any jjurchaser will accept 

 any lumber of the Nyssa group as the genuine red gum. The fact is, 

 most of the exports are red gum. 



Lumbermen are well aware that two grades or kinds are known 

 in trade, "sap gum" and "red gum." That distinction applies to 

 the lumber only, not to the standing tree. The tree is always red 

 gum, but when converted into lumber the light-colored sapwood is 

 "sap gum" and the darker heartwood is "red gum." Some trees 

 are largely sapwood, others are principally heart. 



The first important exports of red gum were as paving blocks. 

 They went to London. They were extensively advertised as having 

 been seasoned by a special process. The seasoning had been accom- 

 plished by girdling the trees and leaving them standing for a year or 

 two. The paving blocks had a good run for a time, but Australian 

 woods finally drove them out of the London Tuarket and probably not 

 one could be found in that city now. 



The most important demand for red gum in Europe comes from 

 manufacturers of furniture in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and 

 England. Americans generally have not yet come up with the Euro- 

 peans in manufacturing the highest classes of red gum furniture. 

 Across the sea it has largely taken the place of Circassian walnut — 

 which is, botanically, the same tree that produces the English, French 

 and Italian walnut wood of commerce. It is generally understood 

 that a good deal of the so-called Circassian furniture that reaches this 

 country from Europe is red gum, and that much of the home- 

 made product falls in the same class. It is unfortunate that a 

 wood as beautiful and valuable as red gum must go disguised in 

 order to reach the most profitable markets. 



The accompanying table gives the exports of red gum for 1912. 

 Figures of former years for comparison cannot be conveniently given, 

 because until recently gum was not separated from other species in 

 trade statistics with foreign countries. It is believed that exports 

 are increasing, and value is increasing also. Well-informed men 

 have expressed the opinion that before many years red gum will be as 

 valuable as white oak. Seasoning troubles, which once caused much 

 prejudice against this wood, are rapidly disappearing in this country. 



ail. I llirv .-iim tu have cca.su.l ulioll.v in Imhuih:-. .Shipiiionts \\hich 

 leave Anieriean shores are largely in the form of sawed boards: 



EXI'OISTS OF liED GU.M LUMBEIt, 1912 



Vest illation Fcct.B.M. Value 



Austria-Hungary 91,000 5 2,593 



Belgium 7,139,000 190,196 



Ucnraaik 1.58,000 4,208 



rriince 4,245,000 119,145 



Germany 4,082,000 110,252 



Italy 7,198,000 201,659 



Netherlands 2,958,000 82,069 



Norway 1 69,000 4,710 



PortiiKiil 183,000 5.202 



Spain 2,752,000 7S,()45 



En;,'lai,(i 21,954,000 00.-|,4.V,t 



Scollanil 050,000 18,030 



Ireland 1,082,000 31,750 



Canada 5,016.000 152,998 



Mexlei) 92,000 2,582 



Argentina 40,000 2,944 



Uruguay 43,000 2,412 



South Africa 3,000 142 



French Africa 05,000 1,869 



Portuguese Africa 3,000 140 



Egypt 531,000 15,275 



Rkc.\pitui.atiox 



Europe 52,722,00(1 .$1,466,669 



North America 6,008,000 155,580 



South America 83,000 5,356 



Africa 602,000 17,426 



Total 59,415,000 $1,645,031 



The cut of the red gum lumber in the United States, according to 

 the latest available figures, is 582,967,000 feet yearly, and its total 

 value at the mill is given at $7,059,730, or an average of $12.11 per 

 thousand feet. 



The exports foot up 59,415,000 feet, or a little more than ten per 

 cent of the total cut. The invoice value of exports is $1,645,031, or 

 over twenty-three per cent of the total value in the mill yard of all 

 the lumber produced. It appears, therefore, that the export lumber 

 is worth more than twice as much per thousand as the average of 

 the whole output. This is to be expected, because much of the better 

 grades is exported and the lower grades remain at home. 



The foreign market for red gum is a wide field for study, and 

 there can bei no question that it can be made a profitable field. The 

 wood is finding its way into new regions in spite of difliculties that 

 arise from the vicissitudes of trade. There are a good many things 

 to which exporters might well give careful attention. This can be 

 no more clearly illustrated than by quoting from a recent report by 

 United States Consul W. S. HoUis, at Beirut, Syria. That is not a 

 very important place, as far as American lumber is concerned, but 

 conditions there may be supposed to resemble conditions in a good 

 many other places where markets for American lumber are begin- 

 ning to open. For that reason, what the consul says is worth more 

 than passing notice : 



The principal American wood imported into this city is red gum wood. 

 There are no brokers in Beirut that represent .\merican lumber exporters, 

 and only one firm buys direct from that country ; two others buy indi- 

 rectly. As there is no direct steamship service to the United States, 

 American lumber is usually shipped to Hamburg, where it is trans- 

 shipped. The one firm importing directly from the United States complains 

 that delay in executing its orders has seriously hampered its business. 



American red gum lumber has been used to a considerable extent during 

 the past few years by the Beirut furniture manufacturers, who, however, 

 have purchased most of their supplies of this particular quality of wood 

 from sundry importers thereof located in Alexandria, Egypt. 



Two years ago a Beirut wholesale importing house succeeded, after 

 spending a lot of time in correspondence, in coming to an understanding 

 with an American lumber exporting house, and thereafter imported a 

 considerable quantity of this lumber, which was shipped from Memphis, 

 Tenn., to Beirut, via New York and Hamburg. The terms arranged and 

 agreed upon were payment of seller's draft with shipping documents 

 attached upon tlie arrival of the goods. The iirst order filled under this 

 arrangement was a shipment of red gum wood, valued at .$800, all of 

 which was intended for consumption in sundry furniture manufacturing 

 shops in Beirut. 



It took this first shipment five months to reach its destination, while 



