42 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



marked degree In conncclion with the lumber business because of the ehilm 

 made, in behalf of the circular, of "exclusive attention." The article 

 compares the cost of setting out this plan of advertising literature with 

 the cost of conservative advertising In the right trade paper mediums iind 

 scores a point In behalf of the tradb press, stating that it represents iin 

 organized medium of publicity, compared to n clearing house or publle 

 market. The article points out another phase of the slluiitlon whleli 

 II.\ni>wuon Record ha.s maintained for years. — namely, that the growth 

 of the advertising section of a trade paper does not militate against its 

 elBciency but has the direct reverse effect in that because of the growth of 

 the advertising section the revenue of the paper increases and hence 

 affords a means for Improving Its prestige and jiower through improvement 

 in general character of the publication. The article goes on to say that 

 dollar for dollar. Idea for idea, the opportunities for cashing In are much 

 greater In the trade press than in the trade circular. 



This opinion, coming from such an impartial medium as "Printers' Ink," 

 should at least eommand the attentli>n of those lumbermen who are inter- 

 ested In modern ideas of merchandising. 



Warns Against the General Use of Catalpa 

 The New Vork Slate College of Forestry suggests thai diiring the past 

 fall numerous inquiries have been coming in regarding the value of hardy 

 catalpa for planting in central and northern New York. Many land 

 owners have been induced to plant this tree because of statements regard- 

 ing its rapid growth and durability, and without doubt much planting has 

 been done that will result in failure. 



The hardy catalpa is a native of river bottoms in the Middle West, 

 where under favorable conditions it makes exceedingly rapid growth. The 

 wood, after thorough seasoning, is very durable when used as fence posts 

 or wherever it comes In contact with the soil. Because of its rapid 

 growth and durability and because of. the ease with which nurseries propo- 

 gate it from seed, it has been exploited very widely throughout the coun- 

 try. The college of forestry believes that it has been too widely planted 

 in New Vork state. The hardy catalpa is a specialized forest crop requiring 

 good soil and more eare than the ordinary farmer or land owner can give it. 

 If one is willing to devote two or three acres of good agricultural soil to 

 this catalpa and cultivate once or twice a year for the first three or fo\ir 

 years as well as to prune it annually so as to force the trunk to make 

 a clean upright growtht it will probably give fence posts in as short a 

 time as any other tree in the state. However, it is not good policy to 

 plant land of any agricultural value to trees. 



To Prevent White Ants from Attacking Wood 



The Bureau of Entomology, through its Branch of Forest Insects uuder 

 the charge of Dr. A. D. Hopkins, has been conducting experiments with 

 woods treated iby various methods to determine how they may be pro- 

 tected from ln,iury by our native white ants. Experiments are also under 

 way to determine the immunity or relative resistance of various native 

 .md tropical species of untreated wood to white ant attack. 



The specialist in charge of these experiments has submitted a report 

 on the treated and untreated woods, which have been subjected to attack 

 from white ants for from live to twelve months. Yellow pine stakes 

 charred by burning for about five minutes were attacked at the end of 

 one year, and this treatment only delays attack. Yellow pine stakes 

 impregnated by the "open tank" method, with coal tar and wood creo- 

 sotes ; dipping and brush treatments with wood and coal tar creosotes : 

 and stakes treated by two closed cylinder pressure processes with several 

 different creosote compounds were not attacked at the end of one year. 

 Untreated alternating check stakes were attacked by white ants. 



An examination of test blocks, showed that after being buried in the 

 ground with infested logs for nearly six months, some of the blocks 

 impregnated with parafline wax were attacked by white ants while wood 

 treated with chlorinated naphthalene was not attacked. Untreated teak, 

 greenheart and peroba test blocks — all tropical woods — were not attacked, 

 while untreated white and red oak. sugar maple, birch, and red gum were 

 attacked and more or less seriously damaged. 

 The Ginseng Craze 



The American consul at Hongkong has made a report to this govern- 

 ment on the ginseng situation which may be construed as a warning to 

 persons who expect to get rich raising this root so highly prized by Chinese. 

 The buyers on the other side of the sea refuse to pay as much for the 

 cultivated article, and they are experts when ginseng is to be graded. 

 They want the wild article, although they do not refuse to buy the garden 

 product, but take it at a lower price. 



"An idea among American growers which should be dispelled," says the 

 consul, "is that ginseng is like any other root product which can be grown 

 and marketed at so much per pound — so long as the root is firm and sound 

 .and free from mold and decay the better price will be paid for the firmer, 

 larger, sounder root. Such is distinctly and definitely not the case. The 

 value of ginseng is a matter of estimation ; certain varieties in certain 

 shapes and in certain conditions are esteemed the more highly. Into 

 the determination of value enters not so much any actual virtue of the 

 root — as a matter of fact the root in any shape and of any quality has 

 very little real medicinal value — but what the Chinese regard as virtues, 

 giving the root medicinal power. 



"The central theory of the use of ginseng decoction is that it combines 

 in itself the virtues of nature — wind, water, woods, the elements, and 

 wild nature generally. Hence, the gnarled, twisted wild root is the ideal 



quality of the I'oot, and any domesticated or cultivated variety Is merely 

 a substitute. This substitute ought to be as near like the wild as possi- 

 hle. If the root grows In the shape of or seems to bear some resemblance, 

 even by severe stretch of the Imagination, to some animal. It has Increased 

 virtue in the trade. For this and similar reasons it is necessary that the 

 small head of the root Joined to the rest of the root by a small nick shall 

 remnin a part of the product. Breaking off such little heads reduces the 

 value of the root In this market by fully half, as a rule, 'nie root should 

 he packed so as to prevent such breakage. Koot to be acceptable should 

 at least I>e rough and wrinkled, with the roughness running around the 

 root In circles or spirals." 



Cultivated roots are smoother, more shapely, than the wild, and this 

 veiy quality cuts their value In half. Market quotations at Hongkong 

 in .September of this year ranged from ^11. .■«2 to ,118.64 for the wild root 

 and $-..50 to $3.04 for the cultivated. 



"Tile above prices are for recognized grades," continues the report. 

 "Most American ginseng is received here ungraded and a large portion 

 of it grades as refuse at .$0.90 to $2.88 gold per pound. On the other hand, 

 extra fine wild ginseng would now bring $18 to $28.80 gold per pound. 

 All the foregoing prices are simply comparative, but illustrate the course 

 of the market." 



Woods Colored by Burying 



Some of the maiuifacturers of furniture and interior finish in Germany 

 have discovered that certain woods may be given an attractive and dur- 

 able color by burying in the earth. The woods which thus far have 

 shown the best results are oak. elm. birch and spruce. The process con- 

 sists in taking green wood and burying it in soil with which lime and' 

 other materials have been mixed, where it is left buried five months or 

 more. By that time a tine color has been imparted, and the wood is used 

 without paint or stain. It has likewise undergone a process of seasoning 

 and it shows little tendency to warp or check. 



VM'it>Wi>!BiM3iC::WWMItTOlSi<3^^^ 



Hardwood 'News Notes^ 



■<, MISCELLANEOUS >-= 



The C. B. French Cabinet Cdinpany. of llrooklyu. .\. Y.. has increased 

 its capital stock to $50,000. 



It is reported that at Lexington. X. C, the Piedmont Lumber and Fur- 

 niture Company is organizing. 



The Nagle Cabinet and Show Case Company has been incorporated at 

 Jersey City, N. J., with $25,000 capital. 



The Mitchell Hardwood Lumber Company of Mitchell, Ind., is reported 

 to have increased its capital stock to $25,000. 



The Massachusetts Novelty Company has been incorporated at Boston, 

 Mass. This company has $3,000 capital stock. 



The Kirkham-JIattson Company recently began business in Ovid. Mich. 

 The company will manufacture interior finish. 



The Foster Chair Company has started business at Huntington, W. Va. 

 This is an incorporated concern with $75,000 capital. 



The Henderson Brothers Lumber Company has incorporated at Clarks- 

 burg, W. Va. This concern has a capital stock of $10,000. 



The Florida Show Case Company has been incorporated at Tallahassee, 

 Fla. The company has an authorized capital stock of $15,000. 



The Crossett Hardwood Lumber Company has been incorporated at 

 Wilmington. Del. This concern will have a capital stock of $500,000. 



The Sluskogee Wagon Wood Company is the style of a new concern at 

 Muskogee. Okla. The company is incorporated and capitalized at $.50,000. 



The Marion Bench and Cabinet Company has been incorporated at 

 Marion. Ind. The company will manufacture the lines of goods as shown 

 in its title and will operate with an authorized capital stock of $30,000. 



The Appalachia Lumber Company of Columbus, O., announces that 

 after November 24 that concern will occupy suite 1914 in the Union 

 Central Life Building, Cincinnati, O. The officers of this company are 

 .T. S. Walker, president : D. H. Moul. vice-president and general manager, 

 and W. I.. Cortelyou. secrotarv and treasurer. 



=-< CHICAGO >- 



E. E. Taenzer of the E. E. Taenzer Lumber Company, Memphis, Tenn., 

 spent several days of last week in Chicago. 



The Lumbermen's Association of Chicago is holding a meeting today, 

 November 25, as Hardwood Record comes from the press. The meeting 

 will be in the form of a regular luncheon and business session to be held 

 in the main dining room, first floor of the LaSalle hotel, at 12 :30. The 

 meeting is to be addressed by Harry A. Wheeler of Chicago, president of 

 the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. 



Frank Purcell, the walnut man of Kansas City, Mo., spent several days 

 of last weet in Chicago on business. Mr. Purcell has for years been 

 widely known as one of the most expert handlers of high-grade walnut in 

 the country. In speaking of the foreign market in walnut, Mr. Purcell 

 said there is reason to believe that present prohibitive ocean freight 

 rates will not hold as strongly as at present, and that the now slack 



