The Hardwood Distillation Industry in Neiv Yorh 15 



more desirable than sapwood and there is an almost uniform 

 opinion among manufacturers to the effect that hard maple 

 is considered best and that beech and birch follow in order. 

 Chestnut contains too much tannin for successful production 

 of distillates. Ash, oak and hickory are considered almost as 

 good as the so-called northern hardwoods, namely, beech, 

 birch and maple. Cherry and elm contain too much tarry 

 material and consequently the distillate results in an excessive 

 amount of wood tar which has very little commercial value 

 and in addition there is an insufficient yield of alcohol and 

 acetate of lime. Basswood, popple, cottonwood and the soft 

 woods or conifers are entirely too soft and light. The con- 

 ifers such as spruce, white pine, balsam, fir, hemlock, etc., 

 are undesirable on account of the resinous nature of their 

 wood and their light weight. Other native species found in 

 'New York do not grow in sufficient quantities to make them 

 of any importance for use in the industry. 



Stumpage Values 



The value of the timber on the stump varies considerably. 

 On large logging operations where the tops, limbs, defective 

 trees and brashy material are utilized, practically no stump- 

 age value is used, because the utilization of this material is 

 considered as salvage. On most of the ISTew York operations 

 steep, rocky hillsides, covered by the desirable hardwoods are 

 anywhere from one-half mile to several miles from the plant 

 or shipping point. Stumpage on these operations, particu- 

 larly in Delaware county, which is the center of the industry 

 in New York State, runs about 75 cents per cord. Altogether 

 it varies between 25 cents to $1 per cord. There is a gen- 

 eral tendency for stumpage values to rise. This has been 

 especially true during the past decade. Since the European 

 War broke out, the stumpage values have been inflated to a 

 considerable extent. 



