sumed large quantities of this grade, chiefly for crating, but also for wire 

 rope reels, where white pine, reinforced with other species, is preferred 

 for its light weight. 



Finding additional markets for this grade would require more selling 

 effort and the development of products favoring use of low quality raw 

 material. Sales in the immediate future will depend mainly on a continued 

 demand for crating and rough construction lumber. 



No. 3 Common and Better — The grades No. 3 Common and better 

 are preferred for white pine's intrinsic qualities; soft texture, light weight, 

 resistance to splitting, and natural durability. The highest quality knotty 

 pine paneling, largely No. 3 Common quality, is preferred for its tight, red 

 knots. Rustic pine furniture makers use No. 3 Common almost exclusively. 



User preferences for No. 2 Common and better lumber are not clear be- 

 cause the complicating factors of lengths and widths within grades were 

 not studied. Grade recovery percentages do not reflect the relatively nar- 

 rower widths and shorter lengths of the upper grades. For many millwork 

 manufacturers the high cost of assembling the best grades in long lengths 

 from local sawmills has forced the substitution of western species, particul- 

 arly ponderosa pine. A previous study showed the average white pine log 

 in New Hampshire to be 9 inches top diameter inside bark and just over 

 10 feet long.* This is an indication that the current white pine resource 

 will not meet demands for long lengths and wide boards. However, small 

 tight-knotted trees are a source of both knotty pine paneling and No. 1 

 and 2 Common lumber. Lumber dealers indicated that white pine lumber of 

 these grades can compete with softwood species from other regions if it 

 can be obtained in the longer lengths and wider widths. 



B. General Market Prospects 



Lumber producers, wholesalers, and retailers were asked their opinion of 

 the future market for white pine lumber. Most noted only slight marketing 

 changes in the past 5 years and expected no major changes in the near 

 future. Specifically, most owners expected no change in: (1) type of 

 products for sale, (2) sales volume, (3) distance to market, (4) the degree 

 of competition from comparable western species, (5) knotty pine pro- 

 duction, and (6) relative prices (discounting the effect of inflation). How- 

 ever, the same owners expected a slight increase in: (1) sales to retailers 

 and contractors, (2) competition from low-grade plywood and hardboard, 

 and (3) the spread of standard grading by mill owners sawing white pine. 



The present market prospects for white pine lumber may be expected 

 to remain the same unless: (1) New products or uses are found for white 

 pine lumber, particularly for the lower grades. An outstanding example of 

 white pine product promotion has been knotty pine for wall paneling. 

 Building up boards by end- and edge-gluing offers one means of increasing 

 the utilization of low grade white pine. (2) White pine is managed to pro- 

 duce the upper grades in sufficient width, length, and volume to compete 

 with western softwood species. Intensive silvicultural practices, including 

 pruning, are essential to produce the highest grades in less than 100-vear 

 rotations. Such practices must be widespread and sustained to reduce 

 assembly costs for those industries requiring quality lumber. Until logs 



* Swain and Wallace, ibid. 



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