WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES OF MARYLAND 55 



LUMBER AND TIMBER CUT. 



The lumber and timber cut of the State was made the subject of a 

 special study by counties during the seasons of 1908 and 1909 to de- 

 termine, as nearly as possible, the amount of forest products of all 

 kinds that are annually taken from our forests. Most of the sawmills 

 of the State are of the portable class which, as a rule, do not run con- 

 tinuously throughout the year, but usually suspend operations during 

 the summer season when work on the farms is more urgent. The 

 summary given in Table I shows the cut of lumber, lath, and shingles 

 by counties for 1908, representing the cut of 690 mills.* 



Under the cut of pine is included some hemlock and a little spruce 

 in the mountain counties, and a little cypress in Wicomico and Wor- 

 cester counties ; but pine constitutes 80 per cent of the cut of conifers. 

 The hardwood cut consists of about 60 per cent of oak of the various 

 species, 20 per cent of chestnut, and a great variety of other species 

 of which maple, yellow poplar, hickory, red gum, and beech are the 

 most important. The average value per thousand feet board measure 

 for the different kinds of undressed lumber at the mills was about as 

 follows: yellow pine, $11.50; oak, $18.50, and chestnut, $14.50. 



Lath is made principally from pine, but a number of the softer 

 hardwoods are also used. The average price at the point of pro- 

 duction is $3.18 per thousand. 



Shingles are made in the central part of the State almost ex- 

 clusively from chestnut. In other sections where chestnut is less 

 abundant, a variety of woods is used, principally pine, yellow poplar, 

 and cypress. The average price is $4.16 per thousand feet at the mills. 



TIMBER AND WOOD CONSUMPTION FOR 1908. 



Outside of the sawmill products, immense quantities of timber and 

 wood are utilized for various purposes, chiefly for railroad ties, piling, 

 poles, mine props, cordwood, pulpwood, charcoal, and tanbark. The 

 bulk of this material is handled by a large number of small operators 

 who do not make it their principal business, but get out this class of 

 material in connection with other operations, or as in the case of rail- 

 road ties and cordwood, much of it is gotten out by farmers during 

 the winter months. Complete data was unobtainable, but a careful 

 estimate, supported by a large amount of data, is submitted. 



* The cut of 384 mills reported by the Bureau of the Census for 1908 was taken as a basis, and this 

 cut supplemented by 306 mills not reporting to the Census, makes the full report. 



