18 BULLETIN 2*72, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTURE. 



In 1914 the average mill-run price of cypress in Louisiana was 

 about $23.50 per thousand feet. 1 It is interesting to note that during 

 the 12-year period following 1900 the price of northern white pine in- 

 creased by $6.44 and that of cypress by $6.77. Cypress for many years 

 has led all other conifers or "softwoods" in the average mill-run of its 

 product. In 1899 cypress was 63 cents ahead of northern white pine, 

 its nearest competitor; in 1907, $2.61 ahead; and in 1914, 1 it led by 

 about S4.40. 2 Pecky cypress, for which there is a good market, 

 usually brings the millmen $8 to $10 per thousand; commons, from 

 $10 to $20; shop, $20 to $25; selects, $28 to $35; and clears, $35 

 to $45. These are round figures, but suffice to show the range of 

 values. The cost of cypress to the wood-manufacturing industries 

 throughout the United States, during the period of 1910 to 1912, aver- 

 aged about $26.95 per thousand board feet f. o. b. cars at the factory. 



STUMPAGE. 



In the early years of the cypress industry practical lumbermen 

 with business foresight began to accumulate cypress holdings, which 

 were then popularly considered of small value. The flat swamps in 

 which cypress flourishes seemed to offer insurmountable obstacles 

 to cutting and getting out the timber to a point where it could be 

 manufactured into merchantable products. Along streams subject 

 to high spring floods the situation was more favorable. Pine lands 

 were still relatively cheap; and cypress swamps, on account of their 

 accredited inaccessibility, were looked upon by the settlers as of little 

 value. Large tracts of overflow lands in Louisiana and Florida 

 acquired by speculators for 25 cents up to $1 per acre, are now worth 

 from $70 to $125 for the standing cypress alone, and are not really 

 available at that price. 



Stumpage values of cypress have become quite uniform, no doubt 

 on account of the relatively few hands in which the remaining sup- 

 plies are held. Along the Atlantic coast, where the bodies of cypress 

 average smaller than in Louisiana and Florida, somewhat lower 

 stumpage prevails. The cost of production, however, is relatively 

 greater, but is offset a little by the shorter distance to the north- 

 eastern markets and also influenced somewhat by the lower intrinsic 

 land values in the region. A stumpage value averaging about $8 

 per thousand feet is quoted for much of the best cypress throughout 

 the Gulf region. This decreases in Florida and up the Atlantic coast 

 to a more representative value of $6 to $7 per thousand for good 



i Based upon 14 special reports to the Forest Service of average prices during 1914 from 5 of the larger mills 

 in Louisiana. This is doubtless higher than for the whole cypress region. Figures for 1899 and 1907 are 

 based upon Bureau of Census reports. 



2 The average price of northern white pine for 1914 was S19.13, based on 27 reports during year from 8 large 

 mills in Minnesota and Wisconsin; special reports to the Forest Service. 



