PRODUCTION OF LUMBER,, LATH^ AND SHINGLES. 3 



Table 1 shows the reported lumber cut for each year since 1899 for 

 which data have been compiled, and the number of active mills re- 

 porting each year. In connection with the recent study of the lumber 

 industry by the Forest Service, the total cut in most of the years 

 listed has been estimated, and these figures also are given. The 

 statistics for different years are not exactly comparable, because of 

 the varying number of small mills which reported. For 1899 and 

 1909 the enumeration was complete, special agents of the Bureau of 

 the Census canvassing the mills in connection with the decennial 

 censuses. The figures for other years were secured mostly by cor- 

 respondence. Further, reports from mills cutting less than 50,000 

 feet were omitted from the statistics for 1904, 1910, and later, and the 

 censuses of 1904 and 1914 excluded custom mills, while for the other 

 years previous to 1910, except 1904, all mills for which reports were 

 secured are included in the statistics. 



The lumber cut of 1915 was influenced by a large surplus carried 

 over from 1914 and by the restricted markets brought about by the 

 European war. Domestic lines of trade were kept at fair volume 

 through the year, and this created a fair domestic demand for lum- 

 ber. However, the lumber industry failed to share greatly in war 

 orders, because of lack of shipping. A greatly increased amount of 

 thick walnut lumber was cut for gunstocks. Dimension stock in ash 

 for aeroplanes, and ash, hickory, and oak for vehicles and tools, prob- 

 ably figured largely in war orders, but such material does not show 

 in this bulletin, because it would not be reported as lumber. The 

 latter part of 1915 witnessed a remarkable revival of domestic lumber 

 buying, largely for building purposes, but it occurred too late in 

 the year to keep the probable total cut from being less than for any 

 census year since 1899. . 



Table 1. — Nnmher of active sawmills reporting, quantity of lumber reported, and 

 estimated total cut: 1899-1915. 





Number 

 of active 

 sawmills 

 reporting. 



Quantity of lumber. 



Year. 



Number 

 of active 

 sawmills 

 reporting. 



Quantity of lumber. 



Year. 



Reported, 

 Mft.b.m. 



Estimated 

 total cut, 

 Mft.b.m. 



Reported, 

 Mft.b.m. 



Estimated 

 total cut, 

 Mft.b.m. 



1899 



31,833 

 218,277 

 11,666 

 22,398 

 28,850 

 31, 231 

 ^46,584 



35,084,166 

 34,135,139 

 30,502,961 

 37,550,736 

 40, 256, 154 

 33,224,369 

 44, 509, 761 





19103 



2 31,934 

 2 28, 107 

 2 29, 005 

 2 21,668 

 2 27, 506 

 2 16, 815 



40,018,282 

 37,003,207 

 39, 158, 414 

 38,387,009 

 37,348,023 

 31,241.734 



44, 500, 000 



19041 



43,000,000 

 43,500,000 

 46, 000, 000 

 46, 000, 000 

 42,000,000 ; 

 44,509,761 



19113 



48,000,000 



1905 



1912 



45,000,000 



1906 



1913 



44, 000, 000 



19073 



1914 1 



40,500,000 



19083 



1915 



38, 000, 000 



1909 





1 Custom mills excluded . 



2 Mills cutting under 50 M feet excluded . 



^Including mills wliich manufacture lath and shingles exclusively (1,500 estimated). 

 ^ Includes 4,543 mills cutting less than 50 M feet, and all cooperage, veneer, millwork, box, furniture, 

 and other factories cutting any lumber at all in 1909. 



