WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES 



43 



The better species of hardwoods, such as tulip, mahogany, cherry, walnut, 

 satinwood, and some oak, are used for the interior of first-class passenger cars. 



The price paid for car building material is $35. 1 per thousand feet board 

 measure, being fourth highest in the list. The industry demands a high grade 

 material. Moreover, as the woods native to Quebec formed only 16 per cent, 

 the cost of freight on the rest of the material helped to increase the price. The 

 cars built and repaired in Quebec are used or sold in Canada. 



TABLE 6 CHEESE BOXES 



Under this heading are included cheese boxes, headings, sides made of 

 veneer in. thick, and a small quantity of butter-box material which could 

 not be differentiated. 



The cheese box industry comes twentieth on the list, but notwithstanding 

 its rank it is considered an important industry in the province because of the 

 increasing importance of the cheese industry in Quebec. The quantity of wood 

 material reported, 1,113,000 feet board measure, forms 0-1 per cent of the total. 



Spruce wood predominates. Spruce, balsam fir, hemlock, and basswood are 

 chiefly used for headings while most of the hardwoods elm, birch, maple and 

 ash are cut into thin lumber or veneer of of an inch and used for box sides. 

 The cheese box industry uses a large percentage of hardwood material, 42 3 per 

 cent. Elm is the leading hardwood species. It is considered much superior 

 to birch and maple on account of its toughness and softness after being steamed. 

 Manufacturers complain that the supply is unfortunately getting very scarce. 

 This is well illustrated by the price paid for elm, $44.43 per thousand feet board 

 measure, compared with $15.80 the average paid for birch, maple, and ash. 



The hardwood material is received at the factory in round log form, the 

 softwood in both logs and boards. Over 99 per cent of the material reported 

 is native to Quebec. Ontario furnished 7,000 feet of elm. The field of trade 

 for cheese boxes is mainly local. 



