HARDWOOD RECORD 



Wood Imports and Exports for April 



The Imports of wood of all kinds into (he United States during April, 

 1914, are given beiow : 



Briar root .$ 27.876 



Logs and round timbers 109,357 



Cabinet woods 513,876 



PuiDwood 456,695 



Other manufactured wood 166,663 



Boards, pianlvS, etc 1,092,223 



Lath 71,015 



Shingies 260,084 



Furniture 72,489 



Chair cane 35,163 



Wood puip 1,378,652 



All other manufactures 378,549 



Value of total imports $4,562,672 



Total for April, 1913, $4,334,842. 



Gain of imports over corresponding month last year, $227,830. 



Tne exports for April, 1914, were as given below : 



Round timber $ 320,426 



Other unmanufactured wood ' 22.651 



Hewed and sawed timber 1,313,368 



Lumber 5,059,038 



Joists and scantling 10,389 



Other manufactures of wood 2,622,548 



Total exports $9,348,420 



The exports for the corresponding month in 1913 were valued at $11,- 

 149,692, a falling off of $1,801,272. 



Wisconsin's Industrial Commission 



The State Industrial Commission of Wisconsin is staying pretty close 

 to its job. Judging by the amount of work it is doing. Within the past 

 year it has published six reports, aggregating more than two hundred 

 pages, dealing with industrial affairs in the state. The titles of these re- 

 ports, as they are given below, outline the scope of the various investiga- 

 tions : 



"Worltmens Compensation," from July 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913. 



"Shop Lighting," a handbook for superintendents and electricians. 



"Infections and Their Prevention," shop bulletin No. 5. 



"Accidents Caused by Objects Striking Workmen." 



"Gear Accidents and Their Prevention. ' 



"Child Labor, with Explanatory Notes." 



Barge Traffic Ceases 



The barge Excel which for years has carried forest products on the 

 Mississippi and lower Ohio rivers, has made its last trip in that capacity. 

 It arrived in New Orleans, towed by the tug Horn, late in May. The 

 particular class of goods which has been carried by this barge is oak 

 wagon and carriage material, and wooden harness parts, manufactured 

 by Peckinpaugh, Harrison & Co. at its mill at Alton. Ind., and consigned 

 to the factory in New Orleans. A large part of the material used in their 

 factory has been transported in this way. The trip just made, however, 

 is the last of the kind, and the barge has been withdrawn from service 

 and offered for sale. 



Michigan Forest Fires in May 



From May 11 to 22 there were 127 forest fires on the lower penin- 

 sula, Michigan, running over 49,470 acres, and doing damage to the 

 extent of $4,000. This is the substance of a report to Chief Warden 

 Hickok by the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association's fire 

 wardens. Nineteen fires were due to railroads, seventy-seven to settlers. 

 and the others to fishermen and other agencies. This shows a markeil 

 improvement over last year in the fires caused by railroads. 

 Wliat Dry Rot Is 



Dry rot, a term applied to a certain kind of decay in timber, is not 

 aptly named. Decay of wood is caused by fungus, and this plant cannot 

 live without water. Consequently, without dampness, wood will not rot. 

 When wood is said to rot on account of dryness, it is simply a case of 

 appearances being misleading. The fungus which produces dry rot. or 

 one of the fungi, is classified as yneruUus lachri/maus. The name fur- 

 nishes the key to the method by which the decay is produced. The dry 

 rot fungus has no English name, but lachrymaus means "weeping." That 

 is what happens. The fungus possesses the power of collecting drops of 

 water from the air. This produces the dampness at the spot where decay 

 is taking place. The air is nearly always damp enough to supply the 

 necessary drops of water, which the fungus is able to condense into 

 globules and deliver the"m where needed. Dry rot usually takes place in 

 basements, beneath or between floors, and near the base of walls. The 

 air in such situations generally contains more or less moisture, although 

 the casual observer takes it for granted that it is dry and concludes that 

 decay which occurs there is induced without dampness. 



Movement to Use More Wood in House Building 



There is a movement in England as well as in this country, to use 

 more wood in house building. In England the frame structure is com- 

 monly called a "timbered house." A recent issue of the London Timber 

 Neics says that the charm of such houses, many of which are to be found 

 in England, not only appeals strongly to lovers of the picturesque at 

 home, but also favorably impresses tourists from all parts of the world. 

 There is a belief that the timbered house is coming into its own again, 

 and certainly a decided revival of this particular kind of Elizabethan 

 house would be something of a boon to the timber trade, and in some 



measure compensate for the loss occasioned by changes in other depart- 

 ments of building construction. The Shakespeare compound, the building 

 known as the office, and a house, in the main street of Stratford-on-Avon, 

 are among the most notable of timbered houses, and these are visited an- 

 nually by thousands of people. Coventry also can boast of a timbered 

 house that is in a sense unique, and here timbering may be seen at its 

 best. Quaint old Chester is famous for its streets of timbered houses, 

 the upper stories of which project over the pavement, and afford the 

 padestrian shade from the sun and protection from rain. At Oxford there 

 are many timbered houses lovely in their simplicity of architecture, while 

 at Lincoln one finds a foil for these in still other timbered structures filled 

 with a delightful mixture of beams and plaster. In conclusion, let the 

 timber trade do what it can to help the timbered houses along, thus helping 

 itself and adding ornament to the dv.'ellings of the land. 

 Japanese Oak 

 The London Timber Trades Journal says that the color of Japanese 

 oak is similar to the oak of Europe and is very uniform, and that it is im- 

 possible in finished work to distinguish it from Austrian or other Euro- 

 pean. It is closer in texture and grain, and consequently finer, and on the 

 whole slightly heavier in weight, and a little more porous. The medul- 

 lary ray is finer, which makes the clash or figure slightly smaller, but 

 not less pleasing in appearance. The uniformity of color is a great 

 advantage as compared with the great variety of tints which are to be 

 found in the produce of American oaks. The annual layers of growth 

 are much closer and smaller, so that it takes a much greater length of 

 time to produce the same size than in other countries. The marketable 

 timber comes from mature trees of great age, and grown in virgin forests 

 which provide the most free from knots or branches, with the straightest, 

 soundest hearts of any known oak. The result is that in conversion the 

 largest percentage of clean, sound timber can be obtained. Its principal 



The Ferd. Brenner Lumber Co., Alexandria, Louisiana 



fill 



^rrt^^S. 



Manufacturers of High Grade Hardwoods "'r/sSomEr 



COLFAX HARDWOOD LUMBER CO. 



MANUFACTURERS 



ASH OAK CYPRESS GUM 



.11 stock band sawn, well manufactured, carefully graded, good aver- 

 age widths and high percentage ot 14 and 16 ft. lengths. 

 No manipulation of grades. 



ronHumers' 

 inquiries de«ired 



AT HALF PRICE 



STEAM SKIDDER 



AND LOADER COMBINED 



GOGEBIC LUMBER CO. 



GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. 



