log, and related costs. The declining sawmill industry can improve its 

 position somewhat despite low log quality according to House and Stod- 

 dard (1961). They mention several methods used to meet the problem 

 of selling the low grades of lumber. These include paying more for 

 better stumpage, gang mills, packaging and marketing more lumber as 

 knotty pine panelling, and the use of small- blank-making machines for 

 box and reel blanks. These efforts, however, do not seem to have satis- 

 factorily increased the utility of the lower grade pine. Alternative out- 

 lets are available in some cases. Heebink (1961) notes the use of paper 

 overlays on low-grade lumber to increase its marketability, and Milne 

 (1961) deals specifically with the improvement of low grade white pine 

 lumber into a marketable product by finger jointing and edge glueing. 



Wallace and Amidon (1958) noted some improvements which have 

 increased sawmill production and marketing efficiency. They recommend 

 even better manufacture and vigorous promotion of current products. 

 Simmons (1961) notes a modernization and efficiency increase in New 

 England mills resulting in more accurately cut and graded lumber as 

 well as better care in handling and drying. 



Fedkiw and Stout (1959) strongly recommend quality improvement 



in stumpage as quickly as possible to adjust the industry to consumer 



demand. They note: 



. . . the output of the upper grades cannot be increased without a 

 proportional increase in the output of the lower grades . . . insofar as 

 the basic grade yields are fixed by the quality of timber being grown, 

 the matter of controlling grade yields is a problem of growing better 

 white pine timber. 



They show (1960a, 1960b) how pruning can help provide better 

 quality stumpage. Improved quality yields are obtainable through for- 

 est managenjent and pruning, these actions being economically feasible 

 to the timber owner. 



III. DETERMINATION OF SAWMILL MOVEMENT 

 Sawmill Population 



The New Hampshire Biennial Forestry Reports show sawmill popu- 

 lation by year in two forms. They list the number of registered sawmills 

 in the state each year and the total number of all mills in the state re- 

 sponsible for the annual cut of wood products. These yearly listings, 

 while giving some idea of the total sawmill population, are not adequate 

 in themselves. All registered sawmills do not necessarily have to produce 

 in the year that they register, and, if they do, it may not be for the 

 entire year. Also, registration did not become compulsory for all mills 

 until 1952. The figure for all mills representing the total annual cut is 

 correct but gives no indication of the proportion of sawmills, or of mill 

 activity over a yearly period. Several very small mills are included 

 which cut only a few thousand out of the millions of board feet in the 

 total annual cut. These mills move rapidly into and out of production 

 (often several times in any one year), and their limited production is 

 usually fitted to personal or local demand rather than to total market 

 demand. 



The annual New Hampshire Forest Market Report lists sawmills and 

 other wood-using plants active in buying raw material. This list shows 



