AMKKICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 235 



tian factories, which are, therefore, in a very difficult position. Prices 

 here have risen 10 to 15 per cent in late years and are still rising. 



The factories in Schleswig-Holstein procure Russian wood via Libau 

 and Konigsberg. The freight rates from the former city are 5 marks 

 ($1.19) and from the latter 6 marks ($1.43) per cubic meter (35.316 

 cubic feet). The price for wood, duty paid, is 20 to 21 marks ($5.76 

 to $6) per cubic meter. 



In the Khiue Palatinate Russian wood is partly used, which costs 34 

 marks ($8.09) per cubic meter, duty paid and delivered free. 



The factories in the Hundsriick use aspen wood from the forests in 

 Nassau, Bavaria, and the Eifel. Russian wood is too expensive. The 

 wood is procured in logs of 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length. 



In Bavaria, where the wood is also becoming scarce, native wood 

 from Upper and Lower Bavaria is used. The wood is furnished sawed 

 in lengths of 2 meters (6.5 feet), as logs of such lengths enjoy lower 

 freight rates. 



The rapid decrease of the native stocks of the aspen, and the subse- 

 quent enhancement of the prices of this raw material, together with 

 the difficulty of obtaining it, led a number of chambers of commerce to 

 memorialize the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and petition him 

 to cause the foresters in whose districts match factories are located to 

 pay more attention to the growth of the aspen. A similar representa 

 tion has been made by parties concerned to the French authorities. 

 The Russian manufacturers seeing their advantage over their German 

 and French colleagues, were not slow in petitioning their own Govern- 

 ment to prohibit the exportation of aspen wood. 



This European scramble for aspen wood can well be settled by sup- 

 plying these factories with wood from the United States, where the 

 aspen is yet an ubiquitous tree, used but little for mechanical purposes. 



IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF MATCHES. 



In connection with the above, the following tables, showing the value 

 of matches imported into and exported from Germany in 1893, will be 

 of interest: 



Imports. 



Sweden .' $30,762 



Austria-Hungary 6, 010 



Belgium 2,678 



Italy 2,676 



Total 42,126 



