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Xylol ogy — A l^ew Profession 



"Expert advice by amateurs" has never tended to benefit the 

 practical element of any line of trade, nor to give to the general 

 public an accurate and authoritative knowledge of any question of 

 importance to any business. Scientific journals sometimes seize 

 upon items which have gained but little recognition, and much 

 less actual commercial headway, and so discuss these questions as 

 to make it appear that they have commanded the attention of the 

 entirety of the trade to which they are connected. A recent 

 article in the Scientific American Supplement, summarized and 

 discussed in a recent issue of the Literary Digest, talks of a 

 question which undoubtedly will in the future command the earnest 

 consideration of the lumber trade. The article, however, appears 

 in error in that it tends to give the impression that the subject, 

 namely, "xylology" discussed under the caption "Xylology — A 

 New Profession" is already in practical use in the furtherance of 

 the interest of the lumber trade as a whole. Xylology is, briefly, 

 the science of wood structure and the identification of woods 

 through cellular characteristics. It will be conceded by many 

 liunbermen conversant with actual timber and market condition's 

 that ultimately the study of the minute cell structure of the various 

 woods with a view of determining their similarity to other impor- 

 tant species nearly exhausted will be of great importance — but 

 that the timber industry as a whole has been influenced to any 

 extent by the findings of xylologists is open to grave doubt. 



The article seems based upon rather superficial knowledge of 

 actual conditions in the lumber business, and makes some asser- 

 tions which would be rather diflScult to substantiate. For instance, 

 in speaking of cabinet and construction timbers, it says that some 

 species formerly employed are now becoming scarce, or practically 

 exhausted, citing black walnut, yellow poplar, red gum, black 

 cherry, white pine and hemlock as coming under this category. It 

 says that these woods are now practically extinct and suitable 

 substitutes are being found, the idea being that the xylolo- 

 gists' investigations have already identified suitable species which 

 by virtue of sufiicient quantity, accessibility and physical qualities 

 will take the place of these "practically exhausted" species. The 

 absurdity of this condition is manifest. 



Further, in speaking of the species individually, it maintains that 

 hemlock was formerly cut for its bark for making tannic extract, but 

 that it is now so scarce that the tannin now used must be obtained 

 from other sources. We wonder if this is true. 



Obviously the article lays too much stress upon the question of 

 substitution of species. It does not recognize the fact that new 

 species have come into use, such as red gum for instance, rather 

 by virtue of their own good qualities than because of the fact that 

 they were displacing some rapidly disappearing species. 



In speaking of mahogany the article makes the erroneous asser- 

 tion that the only "true" mahogany in the West Indies and 

 Central America is growing scarcer every year, and that wood users 

 are eager to secure a substitute. It further maintains that twenty- 

 five different kinds of wood have been sold as mahogany in the 

 last two decades, and that the purchaser of these woods is often 

 under the impression that he is getting "the only true" mahogany, 

 ■when he is really paying for much inferior wood. The actual facts 

 of the case are that the only true mahogany does not grow in the 

 West Indies or Central America, but grows in Mexico, and is known 

 botanically as Sweitenia mahoga/nii, yet it is a pretty generally 

 accepted fact that various wood species closely akin in structural 

 qualities to the true mahogany are marketed as such. The chief 

 distinction is not in the wood qualities but in the botanical fea- 

 tures, which have no bearing upon its actual value. Therefore, 

 while there is substitution of species in this direction, it is pretty 

 generally known and is not done with any intention of defrauding 

 the ultimate consumer. For all practical purposes he gets just as 

 good an article from Africa, Honduras, the West Indies and other 

 sections as he does from the forests of Mexico. 



The real purpose of the study, and the one to which it seems the 



article should have confined its attention, is the finding of new and 

 unknown woods with properties and structural characters similar 

 or nearly similar to those employed by well-known species. The 

 writer maintains that superficial examinations of woods and even 

 physical tests are not sufficient to determine the adaptability of 

 species for certain uses. It is the contention that a minute exam- 

 ination and record of cell structure is necessary to this end. 



In closing, the article acknowledges that the study is in its 

 infancy, which is certainly a fact. "But," it says, "its impor- 

 tance is surely and steadily gaining the attention of lumber dealers 

 and men at the head of wood-working industries." It further 

 avers that the necessity for such work is being felt wherever 

 lumber is now being bought and sold, and the range of its useful- 

 ness is growing remarkably. If this statement could be made to 

 apply to the future, substituting "will be" for "is being," it 

 would be more nearly correct. The question is undoubtedly one 

 which will be of distinct importance in the future, but one which 

 so far cannot of necessity command any great amount of attention 

 from lumber producers or consumers. 



Northern Association Statistics-^July 



A bulletin under date of August 16 issued from the oflSce of the 

 Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Association at 

 Wausau, Wis., gives comparative cuts and shipments for July, 1911, 

 and July, 1912. The reports are based upon information coming 

 from fifty-seven members. The total cut of hardwoods for July, 



1911, was 16,411,000 feet. The total amount of hardwoods shipped 

 during the same period was 17,263,000 feet. Figures for July, 1912, 

 however, show an even more remarkable excess of shipments over 

 cut. The total of all hardwoods sawed into lumber during July, 



1912, was 13,645,000 feet, while at the same time shipments were 

 made aggregating 21,731,000 feet. 



The total cut of hemlock for July, 1911, was 43,351,000 feet 

 compared to shipments of 32,248,000 feet. There was thus recorded 

 a considerable excess of cut over shipments. Figures for July of 

 this year, however, show a favorable reversion of the situation, 

 there being a cut of 39,095,000 feet and shipments of 43,873,000 

 feet. 



Of the various important hardwoods cut by the members of the 

 association only one species experienced an excess of cut over ship- 

 ments during the month. There were 1,900,000 feet of elm cut 

 during July against shipments of 1,705,000 feet. 



The figures for birch showed the most marked excess of ship- 

 ments over cut. Hemlock and all the hardwoods but elm and 

 maple experienced a larger cut during July, 1911, than during the 

 past July. There was an increase in cut of maple during the year 

 of approximately one million feet. On the other hand shipments 

 in general were considerably larger in July, 1912, than July the 

 previous year. This is true in all woods but elm, in which the 

 quantity shipped was practically the same. 



Summarizing, the report says there was a decrease in hemlock 

 cut of ten per cent; increase in hemlock shipments of thirty -six 

 per cent; decrease in hardwood cut of seventeen per cent; increase 

 in hardwood shipments, twenty-six per cent; decrease in total of cut 

 of twelve per cent, and an increase in total shipments of thirty-two 

 per cent. 



Comparative figures as to the cut and shipments for the first 

 seven months of this year compared with the same period last 

 year show there was an increase in the hemlock cut during this time 

 of six per cent. The figures in hemlock shipments during these 

 seven months aggregate forty-seven per cent over last year. The 

 hardwood cut dropped off thirteen per cent over the previous 

 seven months, while hardwood shipments increased thirty per cent 

 during the same period. There was a total loss in cut of three 

 per cent, while on the other hand, the increase in total shipments 

 was thirty-six per cent. 



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