296 SELLING LUMBER 



are all a part of its value? If you know all these things you are 

 entitled to 100 per cent on manufacture, if not you will grade 

 yourself according to your knowledge. 



7. Knowledge of Grading Rules. 



Have you ever sold a bill of lumber and sometime later, when 

 you called on your customer, he would tell you that was the "bum- 

 mest lot of stuff he ever saw," and that it was not near up to grade, 

 and that he wanted you to step out and see it andtpass on the 

 grades? I am sure you have. Were you then prepared to show 

 him that he was absolutely wrong, and to point out the fact that 

 it was in reality above grade instead of under grade? Could you 

 quote the grading rules to him from memory and show him by the 

 inspection of each stick or board that it was up to grade and that 

 your firm or mill did not rob him? In fact, do you actually know 

 YoiTiri a ^ a ^ out knots, their size, form and quality and how many differ- 

 Arguments ent kinds there are? Do you know all about pitch, and sap, and 

 Grades? wane > an d stains, and checks, splits, grains, etc., and how many 

 of each of these defects are allowable in each grade and kind 

 of Yellow Pine lumber according to the length of the piece? If 

 you can tell each of these things you are entitled to 100 per cent, 

 and should get a special prize for efficiency besides. In grading 

 yourself on the grading rule you must grade yourself by the rules 

 and not by appearances of the lumber. You can probably make 

 a correct guess as to the proper grade of a piece of lumber by 

 appearances, but we cannot always tell the grade of efficiency 

 of a lumberman by appearances. What per cent are you effi- 

 cient in the knowledge of grades? 



8. Market Conditions, Prices, Etc. 



The lumber salesman should not only know the prices of 

 every item on his list of standard cutting at the mills ready for 

 shipment, but he should be able to quote promptly, without referring 

 to his price guide and figuring several minutes, the prices of any 

 kind of Yellow Pine lumber that his mill or firm will manufacture. 

 Efficiency As before stated, he should be as familiar with the price or cost 

 in Price of special cuttings as he is with ordinary stock stuff. He should 

 yu< ng a j sQ k ee p .^ c | QSe touch with the capacity of his mills for certain 

 kinds of cuttings and grades and shipments, and should know at 

 all times the quantities of each kind of stock on hand, by a close 

 study of the stock sheets, in order that he may be able to co-oper- 

 ate with the sales manager or mill in moving surplus stock or in 



