September 10, 1915. 



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Indiana s Wood Using Industries 



Editor's Note 



By special arrangement with the United States Forest Service Hardwood Record has secured the right to 



publish in full, and in advance of other publications, the complete study of the wood-using industries of Indiana * 



made by agents of the Forest Service. This investigation was one of the most complete ever undertaken in Amer- 

 ica, and it enters fully into all details of the subject. The manufacturing of woods in that state is highly devel- 

 oped, and Indiana has long been one of the foremost hardwood regions of the country. The report will prove of 



great value. Owing to its length it will be published in serial form, continuing regularly in each issue of this 

 paper until completed. 



Note to show itself in the output of fence posts and ties. Saw timber 



The study upon which this report is based was conducted by the may come later. 



Office of Industrial Investigations, Forest Service, U. S. Department Purpose of Eeport 



of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, during the year 1912, and the This bulletin will show the Indiana woodlot owner who has timber 



statistics cover the period of twelve months from January 1 to De- to sell, where to find markets within the state. The statistical tables 



cember 31, 1911, inclusive. The report was compiled by J. C. Nellis (Nos. 2 to 33) and discussions for each kind of wood show what in- 



of the OflSce of Industrial Investigations. dustries use each kind, while the industry tables (Nos. 35 to 65) 



Introduction snd the accompanying discussions show what woods each industry 



The territory now embraced in the state of Indiana was generally "ses. From these the timber owner can ascertain what industries 



well timbered at the time white men first became acquainted with it. "se the kind of wood he has for sale or what woods are used by the 



The prairies constituted the principal exceptions, particularly in the <^'^ss of industries located in his neighborhood, and then can turn 



northern half of the state. The original forests of Indiana were t° ^^^ directory of manufacturers at the end of the report and get 



almost exclusively hardwoods, that is, broad-leaf trees. A little ^^^ names and addresses of manufacturers in nearby towns who are 



scrub pine, white pine, tamarack, hemlock and cedar were found in engaged in lines of manufacture which use the kinds of wood he has 



certain places, but such trees were always scarce and usually of ^°^ sale. 



inferior size. Practically all of the softwood lumber, lath, and The manufacturer can learn from this report what woods are 



shingles used have been brought from other states. being used by others in his line and what articles other plants make 



The sawing of lumber and its further manufacture into numer- ^'''"" ^^^ '^"•' ^'"^^ "^ ^"'"^ ''« "^<=^- ^""^^ information may result 



ous commodities constitute an important part of Indiana's indus- "" *'^^ "^^ "* untried woods or the manufacture of profitable side 



tries. In 1909, the latest year for which the most complete data ''°^^- takers of small articles can often use cuttings too small to 



are available, there were 1,604 active sawmills reporting to the '^°''^ ^"''*'''"" '" furniture, vehicle and other factories and should 



census and there were 12,840 persons engaged in the manufacture ™^''® ^"""^ connections whenever possible; the directory of Indiana 



of lumber and timber products. Other wood-using industries in the manufacturers at the end of this report will aid in this. Further 



state that year had the following number of persons engaged: information along these lines can be secured by writing the Forest 



Automobiles, 7,753; carriages and wagons, 10,100; furniture and Service, Washington, D. C. 



refrigerators, 12,352; steam cars, 18,194 and agricultural implements, '^'^^ "^.^ "^ lumber, rough or merely dressed, without further manu- 



g QQi , facture, is not considered in this report, but only that which passes 



m, X ^ , , ■ T T ■ 1 -i , • , , ,. through some woodworking plant. For this reason no mention is 



Ihe cut of lumber m Indiana reached its highest figure years ago. i ^ ^i i ^-I ^ , , ,-,,,, 



„, . , , , . ^, ,, J! ■„ r, , made of the large quantitv of lumber sold by lumber yards and 



There is not much decrease m the number of mills: they are nearly v i i ^ ^ i- ,,■!,• -r^ 



., , ,. , , , ,, . wholesalers for construction and building purposes. However, data 



as numerous and as widely disposed as ever, but they are not sawing nii, i ,,. n ^ . ■ , ■ „.,„ 



, , , n,, ^ ^ -1, £.. ^ on all lumber purchased by manufacturers of interior finish, floor- 

 as much lumber. The average output per mJl fifteen vears ago was . j lu .= • t -i . ^ ■ > • i, . . . , ,' , 

 n^c nnn * ^ t i,?io -^ i /*■ n ^ Ann n'nn ^ ^ mu ^Si ^M ot^er finished house material in the state are included, be- 

 952,000 feet a vear. In 1912 it had tallen to 403,000 feet. The tit-^i, ^.■,..,. , . 

 „ ,, . . ,, ', i.T. 1 u i • ^t .L i. • T.» ^ cause such lumber is further manufactured within the state into 

 loUowmg table shows the lumber cut m the state in different years: ^ • , , , . .„ i,_ , , . , . ., 



■' imished products. All other wooden products made m the state are 



YEAR LCMBER CUT, BOARD FEET .,,,.,, . „ 



1899 l.o:'.r,,!ioo,iiii(i included, with the exception of lath, shingles, veneer and cooperage 



iblO '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. ". '. ' ', '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. 4t''i;'fMi^:'.V)ii?i stock, which have been excluded from Forest Service studies of wood- 



1911 360.013.000 using industries, because annual statistics were formerly maintained 



1913 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332.993,000 for these products by'the Bureau of the Census. The latest available 



Statistics of lumber cut were not compiled until comparatively statistics on these items are shown in the appendix of this report, 



recent years, and it is not possible to say when the maximum output The material for this report was collected by the Forest Service 



was reached in the state; nor is it possible to predict when the cut through correspondence and personal visits by agents to factories 



will reach its minimum. There is no doubt concerning the cause of and mills. Lists of manufacturers were compiled from commercial 



the decline. It is due to partial depletion of the supply of standing directories and the list for each town in the state was checked for 



timber. The state still contains considerable quantities, but the the Forest Service by the postmaster, who made such eliminations 



amount has been steadily declining for a long time. In fact, the and additions as were necessary. Blank schedules requesting advice 



total has been growing smaller ever since the clearing of farms be- as to products manufactured, kinds of woods used, and amount, use, 



gan ; but for several decades after that time there was plenty to cost, and source of each kind were mailed to the manufacturers to 



meet all demands. Formerly timber was secured wholly from the be filled in and returned. Those who failed to respond to the first 



growth of the wild forest, but now much of the supply comes from request were sent a second blank and those who still neglected to 



farm woodlots. reply were visited by a member of the Forest Service and the desired 



The farm woodlot should be a more important source of timber information secured by personal interviews, 



than it is. Fire and stock should be kept out and the trees given Kinds of Wood Used By Indiana MANaPACTUEERS 



every chance to grow. The less valuable and inferior species ought Table 1 brings together all the woods reported by manufacturers 



to be used for fuel, posts, etc., in place of the valuable kinds. Species in the state, gives the average cost of each delivered at the factories, 



which grow rapidly, develop shapely trunks, and produce high-class the total cost, and the quantity supplied from home forests and 



wood should be selected for stocking the woodlot, either by sprouts woodlots, and the quantity brought from outside regions. The yearly 



from stumps or by planting seedlings. demand totals 652,217,593 feet, board measure, the total sum paid 



Considerable forest tree culture has been undertaken in the state, is $20,568,576. The amount of state-grown lumber was 146,873,289 



but not enough as yet to have any effect upon the lumber supply. feet, and outside regions supplied 505,344,304 feet. Less than 23 



The earliest appreciable result from planted lots may be expected per cent of the demand by wood-consuming factories is met by tim- 



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