26 



BULLETIN 673, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, and New York, the loading States 

 in production, show an increased output. Wisconsin's proportion 

 of the aggregate cut of the country advanced from 46 per cent to 49 

 per cent. 



The computed total cut of 450,000,000 feet is in line with the pro- 

 duction of the last three years, during which time much has been 

 done to foster the demand for birch. 



The average mill value reached $19.59 per 1,000 feet in 1916; in 

 1915 it was Si 6.52. 



Table 21.- — Reported production of birch lumber, 1916. 

 [Computed total production in United States, 450,000,000 feet b. m.] 



Number of 

 active 

 mills. 



Quantity re- 

 ported. 



Percent. 



Average 



value per 



M feet , 



f. o. b. mill. 



United States 



Wisconsin 



Michigan 



Maine 



New York 



Vermont 



West Virginia 



New H ampshire 



Minnesota 



Pennsylvania 



All other States (see summary, p. 3S) 



1,849 



Feci b. m. 

 305,943,000 



100.0 



S19. 59 



245 

 165 

 191 

 183 

 218 

 112 

 107 

 65 

 220 

 342 



179, 549, 000 



59,251,000 



28, 088, 000 



23, 192, 000 



22,9SO,000 



16,590,000 



10,376,000 



8,341,000 



7,839,000 



9,737,000 



49.1 

 10.2 



7.7 



6.3+ 



6.3- 



4.5+ 



2.8 



2.3 



2.1 



2.7 



19.51 

 20.75 

 19.94 

 20.79 

 19.26 

 20.40 

 15.25 

 16. 76 

 IS. 29 



The term "cedar," as used in this bulletin, embraces several species 

 which make up the bulk of the cut in the respective regions. Western 

 red cedar (Thuja plicata) is the species cut in Washington, Oregon, 

 and Idaho; Port Orford cedar (Chamxcyparis lawsoniana) in Oregon; 

 northern white cedar, or arborvitse (Thuja occidentalis) in the Lake 

 States and Northeastern States; incense cedar (Libocedrus decurrens) 

 in California; southern white cedar, which also is called "juniper," 

 (Chamsecyparis thyoides) in Atlantic Coast States; and red cedar 

 (Juniperus virginiana and J. barbadensis) in Tennessee, Florida, and 

 Alabama. 



In rather sharp contrast with the production of other woods, the 

 cedar cut in 1916 of 322,003,000 feet is smaller than the reported cut 

 for 1915. The decline indicated is 8.6 per cent and is directly trace- 

 able to the decrease in Washington of 46,000,000 feet in the output 

 and 13 in the number of mills reporting. Washington cut 57 per 

 cent of the total for the entire country in 1915 and but 48 per cent 

 in 1916. 



In 1915 Michigan and Wisconsin held seventh and eighth place, 

 respectively, in rank among the producing States; but in 1916 these 

 positions were taken by North Carolina and Tennessee. 



