WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES OF MARYLAND 



15 



$2 a thousand more than scrub, but that brought from without the 

 State costs nearly $1 a thousand less, as is shown in Table 3. 



A large portion of the demand for boxes conies from the fruit and 

 vegetable growers in the eastern part of the State. Another large 

 demand comes from the wholesale merchants of Baltimore who use 

 great numbers of packing cases in which to ship dry goods and other 

 merchandise. The two classes of boxes are quite distinct. Those for 

 dry goods are of better material, are better made, are generally larger, 

 and cost more. A large part of the pine bought outside the State by 

 Maryland box makers goes into the merchandise-packing cases. It is 

 more expensive than the home-grown pine. 



TABLE 3. Boxes and Crates. 



Many boxes are made of tupelo, and they are often preferred to pine 

 for packing provisions. The wood is not liable to impart taste or 

 odor to the contents of the packages, though in this respect it is not 

 preferred to yellow poplar or basswood. It is probable that the tupelo 

 reported by manufacturers as growing in Maryland was some other 

 wood of similar appearance, as the commercial range of tupelo ex- 

 tends into Maryland very little, if at all. 



White pine was once the chief box material in all regions where it 

 grew. It was strong enough, was light in weight and handsome in 

 appearance, and was so satisfactory that its gradually advancing cost 

 was the only reason for the substitution of other woods. More than 



