Buying Practices of Wood-Using 

 Industries in New Hampshire 



By Lewis C. Swain and Oliver P. Wallace* 



"r\ U R I N G the summer of 1955 conferences were held with about half 

 -L' of the owners, or their representatives, of wood-using industries in New 

 Hampshire. It was hoped that information could be secured through these 

 meetings to give a somewhat broader view of marketing forest products, 

 particularly between the owner and purchaser of raw materials. In keeping 

 with a previous study, the results of which were published in June. 1955, 

 under the title of 'Marketing Forest Products in New Hampshire,' Station 

 Bulletin 420, a uniform schedule was used for recording all pertinent in- 

 formation. 



By far the largest users of wood grown in New Hampshire are the saw- 

 mills. This is a well known fact, but what kind of a market they offer to 

 the woodland owners is not so clearly understood. In terms of volume con- 

 sumed, sawmills utilize approximately two-thirds of the harvested timber, 

 converting it into what mav be termed sawmill products. 



Next in order of importance, also by volume, are the pulp mills. There 

 are four in New Hampshire. Other individual wood-using industries are 

 smaller in raw material requirements, but their fairly uniform location 

 throughout the state offers favorable outlets for local timber. These factories 

 manufacture such items as wood boxes, dowels, bobbins, heels, blanks for 

 furniture, excelsior, ladder rungs, veneer, crutches, and cooperage. 



In 1954 the Forestry and Recreation Commission reported 484 registered 

 sawmills. The present study includes information secured from 222 during 

 the same year. Seventy-four of the portable mills are the property of 70 

 individual owners. Similarly in the stationary or permanent class, 118 

 owners have 128 mills. 



A total of 245,831,000 board feet of lumber was cut by 202 sawmills. 

 Twenty mills did not indicate how much they cut and were not classified. 

 During the same period four pulp mills consumed 128,000 cords of New 

 Hampshire grown timber. An additional 12,630 cords went into other in- 

 dustrial use. To these figures must be added 22,740,000 board feet used 

 by mills other than pulp mills or sawmills. 



Expressed in board feet, the total volume of wood produced was 

 315,180,000. This represents raw material grown in New Hampshire and 

 processed in New Hampshire mills. There is an additional amount which 

 is secured from sources outside the state, and an amount grown in New 

 Hampshire, but shipped to outside consumers. No records of these imports 

 and exports have been secured for this study. 



* Mr. Swain is Associate Forester and Mr. Wallace is Assistant Forester in the 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. 



