H 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



will show a much greater profit than most speculative investments, and 

 has the advantage of being absolutely safe. Specifically, young men 

 are advised to find cheap timberland somewhere in the West and 

 South and put all their savings into it. They can not be stolen and 

 every year will increase their value, not only because of artificial 

 conditions, but through the processes of Nature. The only danger to 

 be guarded against is fire and provisions against it are neither difii- 

 cult nor expensive. 



Perhaps in a general way the advice of the Journal is good, but 

 young men seeking investment must not take as gospel all the writer 

 avers. It does make a good deal of difference what kind of timber 

 one buys and the would-be purchaser who is not well versed in the 

 subject should be mighty sure that he is really buying timber when 

 he makes an investment of this sort. Timber investors find that 

 ninety per cent of the offerings of this class are gold brick enter- 

 prises and no one not thoroughly posted in timber values and real 

 estate titles should even consider an investment without securing the 

 advice and co-operation of experts in this line. 



It must be recalled that nearly all large lumber operators con- 

 stantly have representatives cruising all sections of the timber coun- 

 try looking for favorable purchases; aud again it must be borne in 

 mind that a small and isolated timber tract represents not nearly so 

 much value in proportion to size as does a large and well situated one. 

 If there is any intention of developing a timber region there must 

 needs be railroads and equipment to further that end, and this initial 

 expense being large, there is comparatively little attraction for the 

 investor in small tracts, so that the man desiring to make a little 

 investment in timber property is better off to secure a small share of 

 stock in a large enterprise than to attempt to handle a small deal 

 himself. 



An excellent and safe form of investment is in timber bonds issued 

 by several leading underwriters. These securities are passed upon by 

 experts in titles, by competent cruisers, by experts in quality of 

 woods, and by bankers themselves, and in the majority of cases 

 constitute remarkably reliable and profitable channels for the invest- 

 ment of surplu.s funds. 



New Inspection Rules oi the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association. 



The new rules for the inspection of hardwood lumber promulgated 

 by the National Hardwood Lumber Association and adopted by it at 

 the Atlantic City meeting in May last, which go into effect Decem- 

 ber 1, next, have just been issued by the secretary of that association. 



It will be recalled that several important changes in standard 

 lengths and in the system of inspection are instituted by these rules. 

 Standard lengths under the new system will be 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 

 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 feet, but not over fifteen per cent of odd 

 lengths are admitted. However, it is specified that in the grade of 

 Firsts and Seconds eight feet is the shortest length admitted, and 

 there must not be more than twenty per cent under twelve feet, and 

 not to exceed ten per cent of eight and nine feet lengths. Again, it 

 must needs be recalled that the number of defects admitted to a 

 given grade is based on the superficial measurement of the piece 

 and not on its width, as heretofore. There are no radical changes in 

 the various items known as standard defects, but there is a new 

 grade interjected, viz., finish, which it is specified must be inspected 

 from the good face of the piece, the reverse being sound. The grade 

 of No. 3 Common is divided into two grades, specified as 3A and SB. 



A good many lumbermen from a casual reading of the rules would 

 think that they would make a very important difference in hardwood 

 inspection, but the Hardwood Record is entirely of the opinion of 

 the ex-chairman of the inspection rules committee of the associa- 

 tion, who claims that the new rules are not revolutionary, and that 

 they can be more easily understood by those who apply them than the 

 old ones. To demonstrate this fact it may be wise to take one wood 

 and specify where pieces of various sizes and with a given number of 

 defects would fall under both old and new rules. Selecting hard 

 maple for this illustration it will be found that in Firsts and Seconds 

 the following table holds: 



OF^DEDLES ADMIT. NEW BULKS ADMIT. 



1x6 — 10 and 11 feet 1 detect (reduces to No. 1 



Common) 



Ix 7 — 10 feet 1 defect defect 



IX 8 — 10. 11. 12 and 13 feet 2 defects 1 defect 



Ix 9 — 10 and 11 feet 2 defects 1 defect 



1x10—10 feet 3 detects 1 defect 



1x10 — 11, 12, 13 and 14 feet 3 defects 2 detects 



1x11 — 10, 11, 12 and 13 feet 3 defects 2 defects 



1x12 — 10 aud 11 feet 3 defects 2 detects 



1x13 — 10 and 11 feet 4 defects 2 defects 



1x13 — 12, 13 and 14 feet 4 defects 3 defects 



1x14 — 10 feet 4 defects 2 defects 



1x14 — 11. 12 and 13 feet 4 defects 3 defects 



1x15—10, 11 and 12 feet 4 defects 3 defects 



Ix 7 — 16 feet 1 defect 2 defects 



Ix 8—9 feet defect 1 defect 



Ix 9 — 8 and 9 feet defect 1 defect 



1x10—8 and 9 feet defect 1 defect 



1x11—8 and 9 feet defect 1 defect 



1x12 — 8 feet defect 1 defect 



1x12 — 9 feet defect 2 defects 



1x13 — 8 and 9 feet defect 2 defects 



1x14 — S and 9 feet defect 2 defects 



1x15 — 8 and 9 feet defect 3 defects 



From this analysis it will be seen that twenty-six pieces of a 

 definite size having one defect, grade lower under the new rules than 

 under the old; that four pieces having two defects grade lower; and 

 that two pieces on account of small measurement, that were formerly 

 Firsts and Seconds, now go into No. 1 Common. 



On the other hand, nine pieces of specific size, of one defect, are 

 raised from No. 1 Common to Firsts aud Seconds; five pieces with 

 two defects are likewise raised, and two pieces of three defects are 

 also raised. In other words, two pieces of certain sizes are dropped 

 to No. 1 Common, thirty pieces have the number of defects lessened 

 in number, and sixteen pieces formerly No. 1 Common are raised to 

 Firsts and Seconds. However, one must bear in mind that six inches 

 to nine inches, ten and eleven feet long, are sizes that prevail to a 

 much greater extent than eight and nine feet boards of a width 

 greater than eight inches. It is clearly manifest, therefore, that in 

 the aggregate the grade of Firsts and Seconds maple is raised rather 

 than lowered. 



In No. 1 Common maple the following schedule will illustrate dis- 

 position of the various sizes and defects admitted under both the old 

 and new rules: 



OLD RULES ADMIT. NEW KULES ADMIT. 



3 inches and over wide, 6. 8, 10, 3 inches and over wide, 4, 5, 6. 7. 

 12, 14 and 16 feet. 8. 9. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. 15 and 



16 feet. 

 Pes. 3 or 4 inches wide — 1 clear Pes. 3 and 4 inches x 4 to 7 feet — 

 face. clear. 



Pes. 3 and 4 inches x 8 to 11 feet 



— 2/3 clear face in 2 pes. 

 Pes. 3 and 4 inches x 12 feet and 

 over — 2/3 clear face in 3 pes. 

 Pes. 5 inches wide — 1 defect. Pes. 5 inches and wider, 4 to 11 



feet — 2/3 clear face in 2 pes. 

 Pes. 6 feet — 6 to 9 inches wide — Pes. 5 inches and wider, 12 feet 



1 defect. and up — 2/3 clear face in 2 pes. 

 Pes. 6 feet — 10 inches and wider — 



2 defects. 



Pes. 8 and 10 feet and up — 2/3 



clear in 2 pes. 



Pes. 12 feet and up — 2/3 clear in 



3 pes. 



Size of cutting — 4 inehesx2 feet. CuttinR to l)e 2 feet by full width 



3 inehesxo feet. of piece. 



In 10 feet and over heart must not Heart must not show over % 



show over 1/6 length of piece. length of piece. 



In No. 2 Common maple the following will show the maximum de- 

 fects and the disposition of various sized pieces under both the old 

 and new rules. 



OLD RULES ADMIT. NEW KULES ADMIT. 



3 inches and wider, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 3 inches and wider, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 



and 16 feet. 10. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 



feet. 



Pes. 6 to 10 feet— 50% clear in 3 Pes. 4 to 11 feet— 50% clear face 



pes. in :i pes. 



Pes. 12 feet and over 50% clear Pes. 12 feet and over — 50% clear 



in 4 pes. face in 4 pes. 



Cutting 3 inches x 2 feet. Cutting 3 inches x 2 feet. 



Heart ^2 length of piece. Heart '?4 length of piece. 



In No. 3 Comiuon the analysis is continued as noted in the fol- 

 lowing : 



OLD EULES ADMIT. NEW BULES ADMIT. 



3 inches and wider. 3 inches and wider. 



4 feet and up — even lengths — 25% 4 feet and up — odd lengths — 25% 

 sound cutting. sound cutting. 



Of course anyone who desires to know precisely what all the 

 changes incorporated in the present rules involve will be obliged tc 

 figure out an analysis similar to the above, covering the different 

 hardwoods in which he is interested. 



