4 6 



WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES 



treated in this report. These statistics include products of factories 

 making all kinds of furniture except chairs and to a limited extent 

 those making furniture parts, as built-up dresser, chiffonier, and table 

 tops, pianels, bed slats, and drawer sides. 



A number of Virginia manufacturers make only a distinct line of 

 goods like kitchen safes, tables, wardrobes, or couches and lounges. 

 This tendency to specialization in furniture making is becoming more 

 widespread, it makes for economy and benefits both consumer and 

 manufacturer. However, the number of concerns making single lines 

 of goods in Virginia was not large enough to permit the grouping of 

 them into separate and distinct industries. 



The following (tabulation shows the quantities of the principal 

 woods used by the manufacturers of furniture in each of sixteen States 

 studied by the Forest Service : 



Merely a glance at the above figures shows that oak is preemi- 

 nently the furniture wood in this country. Even in States where its 

 stands are not plentiful it leads all other woods. Massachusetts, Illi- 

 nois, Maryland, and Wisconsin, are examples. In Missouri, Arkansas, 

 and Louisiana where red gum takes the lead, it stands second in quan- 

 tity used. Maple, birch, red gum, and yellow poplar, are the other 

 woods, probably in the order named, which, after oak, are called on 

 in the greatest quantities by the furniture makers. 



Trees producing furniture lumber are plentiful in Virginia and 

 the sawmills of this State not only have more than they need for 

 home consumption but send away a large part of their cut to factories 

 in other States. In the case of oak for example, the sawmills produced 



