February 25. 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD . 



21 



that trees in the Pacific coast country attain an age of more than 

 a thousand years, and elsewhere in the United States grow to an 

 age of nearly two hundred years, we can then see that the cutting 

 •of a twenty-year-old tree is about as sensible in the lumber busi- 

 ness, as the killing of a twenty-day-old chiok would be in the 

 poultry business, except as quality or location of tiniberland de- 

 mand that it be converted to more important uses. 



As to the curious superstition that reforestation should be lim- 

 ited to land that is barren or totally unfit for agriculture, this idea 

 is much affected by the academic recluse, by various dilettante 

 writers, and even by some very able men in the government serv- 

 ice, but must be rejected by anyone in the l^ast familiar with for- 

 ests as they actually are. For confirmation of this contention we 

 can observe the miserable timber growth on the sandy lands of 

 Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, and compare this with the 



fine timber in the rest of the state, or compare the scrubby oaks 

 in the Grand Prairies, with the magnificent timber, growth in the 

 St. Francis valley, in the state of Arkansas, this difference in 

 favor of St. Francis valley in spite of the fact that land in the 

 Grand Prairies is geographically much older than the Delta lands; 

 and so on throughout the country we can see the utter futility 

 of expecting any valuable growth of timber on waste land. 



It is true that the coniferous species are found on both good 

 and poor soil, but the growth is much inferior on the very sandy 

 land. In the deciduous species there are many fine stands of tim- 

 ber on very stony ground, but in no part of the world are there 

 any forests of this kind except on good soil; indeed, if we should 

 plant the seeds of deciduous trees on very sandy land, the result- 

 ing growth would be of no more value than a crop of Canada 

 thistles. 



Reports are received that the Mississippi has fallen approximately 

 seven feet from the recent crest reached in Memphis, and the rate 

 of fall is sufficiently rapid to give the impression that conditions 

 will soon — certainly within the next ten day.s or two weeks — be 

 normal again so far as this stream is concerned. Already distinct 

 improvement in local conditions, as affecting lumber mills and wood- 

 working enterprises, is evident. Some of the lumber plants here 

 already resumed operations in North Memphis, and the waters 

 have sufficiently receded in New South Memphis to make resump- 

 tion possible in some instances. However, there is a very pro- 

 nounced shortage of logs and some of the mills which are no longer 

 directly interfered with by high water are still idle on this account. 



Conditions are also vastly improved in the valley sections com- 

 prised within what is properly known as the Memphis hardwood 

 producing territory. No breaks have occurred in the levees in 

 either Arkansas or Mississippi protecting lands against the Missis- 

 sippi itself, and all danger of such a development is past so far 

 as the present rise is concerned. The streams in Arkansas and 

 Mississippi, too, have fallen rapidly and normal conditions will 

 shortly prevail with respect to these streams as well as the wood- 

 working enterprises located thereon. The railroads have already 

 repaired most of the damage done by high water, and train service 

 both in and out of Memphis is approximately normal on all the 

 principal roads. Some of the logging lines in Mississippi and 

 Arkansas, however, are still idle, partly because of high water and 

 partly because there are no logs for them to handle. 



In Louisiana breaks have occurred in the levees and much terri- 

 tory has been flooded. However, these breaks happened some days 

 ago, and, with the river now falling in the upper half of that state, 

 the flooded area is gradually becoming free of water, though it will 

 take some time for the completion of this process. Lumber interests 

 have suffered somewhat from the breaks in Louisiana, as well as 

 from high waters in the streams in Mississippi and Arkansas, but 

 it is impossible to give even an approximate idea of damage sus- 

 tained. It is known, however, that the most serious result of the 

 flood conditions, broadly speaking, has been the curtailment of log- 

 ging operations. Very few logs have been brought out since the 

 first of the new year and, even with the improvement already 

 noted in river conditions, it will be some time before there can be 

 much timber cut or hauled. This applies to west Tennessee, east- 

 ern Arkansas and west Mississippi, from which the greater portion 

 of the hardwood log supply for this city and section is secured, and 

 members of the trade do not hestitate to say that the outlook for 

 production of hardwood lumber in the immediate future is quite 

 unpromising. There is so much back and surface water that the 

 ground is too soaked for either the cutting or hauling of logs and 

 the millnian who has enough logs in sight is regarded as particularly 

 fortunate. Several weeks of favorable weather will work a won- 

 derful change, it is conceded, but emphasis is laid by the average • 



lumberman on the fact that March and April are usuall}' months 

 of heavy rainfall and flood conditions in this territory, with the 

 result that the seriousness of the situation, from the standpoint 

 of the lumber producer, is not at all underestimated. 



Meantime demand continues active for practically everything 

 in the hardwood list, high-grade Cottonwood being the striking 

 exception. The box factories are doing a big business and are 

 using large quantities of number 1, number 2 and number 3 com- 

 mon Cottonwood but firsts and seconds are in quite limited request. 

 Oak is moving well in all grades of both plain and quartered red 

 and white, while ash is a ready seller. Thick stock is scarce and 

 prices are firmly held. Gum continues to advance as a result of 

 the somewhat strained relations between supply and demand and 

 deliveries are just as full as they can be made under present condi- 

 tions. There is also an excellent demand for thick elm and 

 hickory is moving well, with the preference for dimension stock. 

 The serious curtailment of manufacturing operations during the 

 past few weeks, the actual and impending shortage of logs, the 

 recent heavy deliveries and the consequent reduction in stocki, 

 coupled with the present active demand, are the prime factors in 

 the upward tendency of prices and cause and effect are regarded as 

 wholly logical. That the market is in exceptionally strong position 

 is only too well known to consumers and distributors or their rep- 

 resentatives who have recently been in touch with local hardwood 

 interests or those elsewhere in the valley states. 



The Dependable Wooden Box 



Boxes made of substitute materials may come and may go, but 

 the dependable wooden box goes on forever. That meaning is 

 apparent in a recent report by Consul William B. Davis, stationed 

 in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the prospects of introducing the fiber 

 board box into that district. An extract from the consul's re- 

 port is here given: 



Inquiries reg.irding the possible use of corrugated, double-faced straw- 

 board, fiber board, pulp board and solid fiber mill-board boxes show thai 

 no boxes of this class are used in the Guadalajara consular district for 

 packing or shipping merchandise and their use would be an innovation. 

 There are, however, possibilities of Introducing them in this market. 

 There are no rules or laws governing interior transportation by public 

 carriers or other shipping agencies which regulate the use of these boxes 

 in the mail, freight or express service. They should be packed in wooden 

 boxes to be handled most advantageously. 



It may be assumed that a prospective user of fiber board boxes 

 will not be attracted very strongly toward the article after being 

 advised that the flimsy container should be enclosed in a wooden 

 box to guarantee its safe arrival at its journey's end. He might 

 be tempted to ask why it is not better to pack the merchandise 

 in the wooden box in the first instance and not go to the expense of 

 first packing in the flimsy boxes which must be enclosed in wood 

 before they can go safely. 



