1364 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



They will no doubt succeed in the course of time, but they need to be 

 expanded and strengthened. Much care is required to assure that 

 only well-treated material is provided. 



MERCHANDISING 



Lumber, the principal forest product, has thus far largely "sold 

 itself." Several factors, unnecessary to enumerate, have contributed 

 in the past to a strong position for lumber and obviated the necessity 

 of strongly organized merchandising effort. But conditions of the 

 past no longer prevail. Lumber is contesting with other materials 

 for practically all its markets, and there is now imperative need for 

 promotional effort in the broad sense. Until up-to-date merchandis- 

 ing has had a chance to show its full effects, previsions of permanently 

 inadequate markets lack realism from the economic point of view. 



In the long run, merchandising effort must be based, first, on sound 

 foundations of quality and technical control, as discussed in preceding 

 paragraphs, and, second, upon coordinated sales policies that insure 

 to the consumer material of the type and quality to meet his particular 

 requirements. 



The groundwork has already been laid in American Lumber Stand- 

 ards for fundamental improvement that is well within the hands of 

 the trade to put into effect, either by itself or with the aid of public 

 agencies in certain respects. Standard grading and grade marking 

 are measures that are particularly needed as a guaranty of quality in 

 which the consumer can put his confidence. It is even more essential 

 that the lumber industry itself take cognizance of the species and 

 the grades and qualities within a species that are inherently suitable 

 and justify promotion for a given use. 



Organized demonstrational and educational effort must be applied 

 to focus attention of the buying public upon the merits of wood prop- 

 erly prepared and selected, and how to avoid dissatisfaction in its use. 

 Mistakes of design and construction to be avoided as, for example, 

 the use of untreated wood in damp locations, or lack of measures for 

 fire-resistance must be made plain to the users. 



Many prejudices against lumber will disappear as the producers 

 take a firmer grasp of quality control and preparation of the product. 

 Others will be removed only by educational work. For the technical 

 buyer, especially, data regarding the properties of wood and its use 

 in engineering structures must be made available in manuals and 

 textbooks comparable to those available to him in the use of other 

 materials. 



The merchandising that will be effective in holding and extending 

 markets for lumber products involves not only attention to the major 

 established outlets but also recognition of new deeds and latent wants, 

 and provision of ways to meet them through the use of lumber. For 

 example, good roads and the automobile (still too largely unhoused) 

 open to the masses opportunities for recreation, which in turn offer 

 new possibilities for lumber if satisfactory cottages and camps can 

 be made available on a low-cost basis. Only active merchandising 

 can develop such possibilities. The widespread desire of home owners 

 for wood paneling and finish presents another challenge and oppor- 

 tunity that only effective merchandising can meet. City dwellers are 

 still inadequately housed, and farms are getting but a fraction of the 

 buildings and repairs that they need. 



