-'6 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



The Country's Production of Lumber in 1908 



The statistics of tliB lumber cut in 1908 

 are based upon the operations of 31,231 

 active sawmills situated in the various 

 lumber-producing regions of the United 

 ytates. The bulk of these reports were 

 made by the manufacturers directly to the 

 Bureau of the Census and the Forest Serv- 

 ice. As in previous years, however, the 

 data for New York were furnished entirely 

 by the forest, fish, and game commission 

 of that state. Assistance in securing re- 

 ports from delinquent members was ren- 

 dered by the secretaries of several associa- 

 tions of lumber manufacturers. In addi- 

 tion, many delinquent reports were secured 

 through state foresters, through members 

 of the Forest Service who were especially 

 detailed to collect such information for the 

 Eastern states, and from forest oiEeers in 

 the Western states. The result is that 

 these statistics probably represent the most 

 •■omplete census of lumber production ever 

 made in the United States. Although it is 

 probable that a number of small mills in 

 out-of-the-way localities were not reached, 

 it is believed that the total reported pro- 

 duction closely approximates the actual 

 output. 



In addition to bringing out the fact that 

 the canvass in 1908 was more complete 

 than that for the preceding year, the fig- 

 ures disclose in a most striking manner the 

 adverse conditions obtaining in the lumber 

 industry during that year. The percentage 



of mills reported as idle "throughout the 

 year was more than twice as large as the 

 corresponding percentage for 1907. This 

 tact and also the fact that a large number 

 of mills reported as active in 1908 were 

 idle during a part of the year account for 

 the falling off in the reported lumber pro- 

 duction. 



As a result of the business depression, 

 the quantity of lumber produced in 1908 

 was less "than that for any year since 1900. 

 and the average value per thousand feet of 

 the cut at the mill was less than, in any 

 year since 1904. 



The average value per thousand feet at 

 the mill for all the lumber produced was 

 ••tll.lS in 1900, $12.76 in 1904, $16..54 in 

 1906, $16..56 in 1907, and $15.37 in 1908. 

 The decrease in average value per thou- 

 sand feet in 1908 was general, only a few 

 kinds of lumber showing even small in- 

 creases over 1907. 



While there was an increase of 2,381. or 

 S.3 per cent, in the number of mills en- 

 gaged in the production of lumber, there 

 was a decrease of 7,031,78.5,000 feet, or 

 17..5 per cent, in the total quantity of the 

 I'Utput. In the case of most of the states, 

 reports were secured from a greater num- 

 ber of active mills for 1908 than for 1907, 

 while, on the other hand, the cut in 1908 

 was generally less than in 1907. 



Yellow pine had been far in the lead as 

 ;i lumber producer for more than a decade 



previous to 19U8, and in that year its cut 

 amounted to 33.8 per cent of the total cut 

 from all species. Douglas fir ranked sec- 

 ond both in 1908 and 1907. White pine 

 ranked third in both years. Though still 

 maintaining their relative rank, oak and 

 hemlock fell off 947,249,000 feet and 842,- 

 173,000 feet, respectively, or about 25 per 

 cent each. 



The softwoods supplied 76.9 per cent 

 and the hardwoods 23.1 per cent of the 

 total production in 1908. The softwood 

 i-ut was less in 1908 than in 1907 by 17.6 

 per cent, while that of the hardwoods was 

 less by 17 per cent. 



Oak 



Many different species of oak are cut 

 for lumber, and it is impracticable to give 

 the statistics separately for each, .\mong 

 the kinds most used are white, red, chest- 

 nut, chinquapin, bur, and Spanish oaks. 



The production of oak lumber has fallen 

 off heavily in the last ten years. In 1908 

 it was less by 947,249,000 feet, or 25.5 per 

 cent, than the cut of 1907. The oaks are 

 very widely distributed, and no one state 

 leads decisively in the production of oak 

 lumber. Kentucky and West Virginia re- 

 ported practically the same quantity in 

 1908. Tennessee ranked third and Arkan- 

 sas fourth, with Pennsylvania and Ohio fol- 

 lowing in the order named. No other state 

 j.roduced as much as 200,000.000 feet. 



Among the principal oak lumber pro- 



PRODtlCTION OF HARDWOO.D LUMBER FOR 1908, NUMBER OF ACTIVE MILLS 



