AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 189 



Wagon Company. Timber is extensively used in the Black Country 

 here, that is, the district between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, 

 for supportiug the roofs of workings in pits. 



EXTENSION OF LUMBER TRADE. 



It seems to me from my observation and as the result of inquiries, 

 that more of our lumber might find a market here for use in making 

 furniture if close attention were given to the matter by our manufac- 

 turers, but the radical differences in tastes and customs would render 

 necessary a close study of the local conditions here. Most of the 

 wooden utensils used in housekeeping are made in the United States 

 and find a sale here at good prices. 



GEORGE F. PARKER, 



Consul. 



BIRMINGHAM, January 30, 1894. 



DUNDEE. 



NATIVE WOODS. 



The native woods are oak, ash, elm, beech, birch, larch, spruce fir, 

 and silver fir ; the first five varieties mentioned being hard woods. Of 

 these oak, ash, and elm are mostly used for agricultural implements, 

 wagons, carts, wheels, and van making purposes, for all of which they 

 are well adapted. Beech is used mostly for wheelwright work, such 

 as cogs for wheels and carpenters 7 planes, and tools of various kinds; 

 birch is principally used by turners for making bobbins, spools, etc.; 

 larch is used largely for fencing purposes, and also by cartwrights in 

 making shafts, sides, and bottoms of carts, and although not a hard 

 wood, it is considered a very good wood for wear and strength; spruce 

 fir and silver fir are chiefly used for fencing and coal-pit sleepers. None 

 of them are of a lasting quality, and are only used for these and like 

 purposes which are of a temporary nature. 



IMPORTS OF LUMBER. 



Most of the wood used in this district comes from the Baltic and 

 neighboring ports, and these are generally known in the trade here as 

 "Baltic woods." Navigation on the Baltic is open only from May to 

 December, so that the full supply has to be imported during this 

 period. 



From the ports of Archangel and Cronstadt is shipped a very fine 

 quality of red and white deals and battens, boards, etc., in sizes from 

 4 by 1 to 11 by 3; these are considered the best Baltic woods imported. 



Norway sends only a very low quality of red or white deals or bat- 



