January 25, 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



While some of the mills which have heretofore been out of com- 

 mission have resumed operations, a goodly number of those which 

 have been running are now closed down on account of the scarcity of 

 timber and the high water. Thus, production in the Jlemphis terri- 

 tory has doubtless shown a decrease rather than an increase, with 

 the result that the resumption of operations on the part of some 

 mills has not had the effect which might have been calculated. Among 

 Ihe big mills which have recently resumed or which are preparing to 

 do so at once are the Lamb-Fish Lumber Company, Charleston, Miss., 

 Houston Bros., Vieksburg, Miss., and the I). K. Jeffris Lumber Com- 

 pany at Natchez, Miss. These firms have akeady made arrangements 

 for an adequate timber supply and they will be able to keep their 

 machinery going steadily. However, as already suggested, their pro- 



duction is perhaps more than offset by the forced decrease in output 

 in other directions. 



As giving a concrete idea of the scarcity of timber, it can be 

 stated on the authority of one of its officers that the Valley Log Load- 

 ing Company, which loads a large percentage of the logs received at 

 Memphis and at other points on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley 

 line of the Illinois Central and the Memphis-Marianna cut-off on the 

 St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern, has shut down all of its log- 

 loading machinery for the reason that there are no logs on the right 

 of way of these roads ready for loading. J. W. Dickson, president 

 of the company, says there is water everywhere in the valley, that 

 ox teams were sold freely last year when beef was high, that condi- 

 tions for logging are highly unfavorable and that a log famine is 

 pretty close at hand if not already here. 



'^l iTOMil» HMI! l^)6 TO04aiKaTOai!TOiTOil!)6BTOi(iroil^^ 



The thirty-fifth annual meeting of the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation was held in Boston, Mass., January 17. Many delegates 

 were in attendance from the New England States, and smaller nimi- 

 bers from other states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, 

 New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. 



The association elected Charles Lathrop Pack as president to suc- 

 ceed President Drinker whose term had expired. Mr. Pack was 

 one of the earliest advocates of forestry and conservation of natural 

 resources in this country. He studied forestry in this country and 

 in Europe, and was one of the first to recognize the immense value 

 of the southern pine forests, because they were largely inmume to 

 injury by fire. 



In President Pack's address, upon the occasion of his election, he 

 urged the importance of continuing the appropriations for the pur- 

 chase and administration of Appalachian lands in the interest of 

 forest preservation. The appropriation made under the authority 

 of the Weeks law has been exhausted, and unless additional pro- 

 vision shall be made, the work so well begun will come to a stop. 



President Pack discussed the taxation problem, as it directly affects 

 forest lands, and argued that the tax burden when laid annually 

 upon property which may be growing into value but is producing 

 no revenue, as is the case with forests which are not ready to cut, 

 may lead to incalculable harm to the community or state by com- 

 pelling owners of forest land to clear it of its timber and let it lapse 

 for non payment of taxes. 



He likewise touched upon the subject of the waste in lumbering, 

 due to the lack of a profitable market for the lower grades. Be- 

 cause it is unprofitable to take out of the woods, or ship from the 

 mill these low grades, the speaker estimated that material worth 

 $100,000,000 annually is left to rot or burn. 



An address by E. A. Sterling, manager of the trade extension de- 

 partment of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, pur- 

 sued further the line of argument introduced by President Pack on the 

 subject of the influence of low prices on forest waste. He said 

 that there has been over-production of lumber, greatly reduced demand 

 and low prices, which have made, in many regions, even incomplete 

 utilization of standing timber unprofitable. The lumbermen have 

 been facing the most critical period in the history of the industry, 

 and their success or failure in devising ways and means for the bet- 

 terment of conditions, and the stabilizing of the lumber market 

 wiU have a very marked influence on the future development of for- 

 estry. The capture of certain parts of the lumber market by sub- 

 stitutes has likewise borne fruit in an increase of waste in forest 

 and mill 



Miscellaneous Addresses 



The meeting was addressed by a number of able speakers and 

 specialists, and New England was strongly represented. It is to 

 be regretted that other parts of the United States did not send 

 delegates in order that representation might have been wider and 



more general in regard to territory. 



Harold Parker, chairman of the Massachusetts Forest Commis- 

 sion, advocated the restoration of New England 's old forests, but 

 leaving the fertile areas to the farmers, and the areas adjoining 

 towns and cities to the suburbanites. 



J. W. Toumy of the Yale Forest School advocated the establishment 

 and maintenance of county, city, town, school, and other woodlands, 

 in addition to state and national forests, and he cited some of the 

 systems in Europe as examples. 



H. H. Chapman, likewise of the Yale Forestry School, saw the 

 fight against injurious insects as the foresters' big problem. He 

 wanted tree information carried to farmers by means of bulletins 

 and lectures, and insisted that through trained foresters alone could 

 effective results be reached, and that politics must be banished root 

 and branch. 



H. T. Fernald, Massachusetts State Nursery Inspector, gave a 

 practical talk on certain tree diseases and how best to combat them. 



W. W. Golton, city forester of West Newton, Mass., addressed 

 his remarks to the subject of city forestry and its future. 



In addition to a large number of vice-presidents, the oflScers elected 

 were the following: 



President — Charles Lathrop Pack, N. J. 



Treasurer — John E. Jenks, Washington, D. C. 



Executive Secretary — P. S. Ridsdale. Washington, D. C. 



Directors — John S. Ames, North Easton, Mass. ; E. T. Allen, Oregon ; 

 Robert P. Bass, New Hampshire ; Herman H. Chapman, Connecticut ; Dr. 

 Henry S. Drinker, Pennsylvania ; J. E. Rhodes, Louisiana. 



As a lubricant to use on an oil stone, kerosene oil gives the best 

 results, as it not only enables the stone to ' ' take hold, ' ' but also 

 keeps it clean and prevents it from filling up. 



A wood chopper can work hard enough to keep himself warm, 

 but if a wood finisher is expected to do so his work is not apt to be 

 income-producing. 



When a big sawmill finds that it pays to reduce the cut 5,000 feet 

 per day for the sake of getting more lumber out of the same amount 

 of logs, it is a lesson in economy and good management that should 

 be taken to heart by more operators. 



Lubricating oils should be selected upon a basis of what they will 

 do in actual use upon the machines in operation. Woodworking 

 machines frequently operate under very trying conditions and the 

 oils should be tried under these conditions. 



AU hoisting engines should be kept covered during rainy weather, 

 if possible. The frictions getting wet may cause them to hang or do 

 some other thing not in order. The valves should be examined fre- 

 quently, as a slip may mean a serious mishap. 



