186 



AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



lengths, from 10 to 26 feet. These pieces are resawed by hand with 

 a whipsaw to the desired size for sash, doors, flooring, moldings, and 

 other finishing material. This class of lumber varies in price according 

 to quality and size, the larger pieces being preferred. It is sold by the 

 piece, but the price in square feet measure is from $16 to $19 per 1,000* 

 feet. The boards used for siding, partitions, and other purposes are 

 pine, both yellow and white, and are sawed about three- eights and 

 three-fourths of an inch thick by 10 to 12 inches wide, and from 10 to 

 16 feet long. When comparatively clear of knots they sell at $23.75 

 to $26 per 1,000 feet, according to length and thickness, but when 

 full of knots and of short lengths sell as low as $ 11 per 1,000 feet. 

 Frame material is generally sold in beams from 4J to 12 inches square, 

 of various lengths, up to 37 feet. The oak beams, best quality, sell at 

 $24 to $27 per 1,000 feet. The pine frame lumber is sold in similar 

 sizes and is resawed by hand for rafters, studding, etc., and sells for 

 from $22 up to $28 for best quality and long pieces. Pine flooring 

 dressed on one side sells at $28 to $32 per 1,000 feet. The best grade 

 is not entirely clear of knots and the cheapest contains some black 

 knots. 



LUMBER IMPORTED AND DUTY. 



The lumber imported is mostly from the Black Sea ports ; a small 

 quantity is imported from Sweden, but none from the United States. 

 That from Eoumania and Austria is preferred by the carpenters. The 

 latest official figures obtainable on the imports of lumber are as fol- 

 lows: 



The duty on foreign lumber imported into Turkey is uniformly 8 per 

 cent ad valorem. The Turkish Government charges a tax of 20 per 

 cent ad valorem for cutting timber in the forests of Turkey, and 12 per 

 cent ad valorem duty on lumber when shipped from one province to 

 another. These charges have greatly injured the production of home 

 lumber and the owners of forests are making an effort to get relief, but 

 with no apparent prospects of success. 



CLIMATE AND GENERAL BUILDING. 



This part of Turkey has usually a very temperate climate, but, at long 

 intervals, the winters are quite severe. 



Owing to numerous disastrous conflagrations, the authorities of Con- 

 stantinople have prohibited the construction of wooden buildings, but 

 in other parts of the Empire no such prohibition exists, and wooden 



