218 FOREST PRODUCTS 



Value of Products. 



One of the greatest drawbacks to engaging in the wood distillation 

 business has been the great fluctuation in the price levels for all of the 

 principal products, namely, acetate of lime, wood alcohol and charcoal. 



In the early days of the industry charcoal was the principal product, 

 and it brought from lo to 20 cents a bushel or more. Then acetate of 

 lime became the principal product sought after and finally the wood 

 alcohol. Before the Federal legislation, the profits were excellent and 

 attractive, but since 1907 and up to the outbreak of the great Euro- 

 pean War on August i, 1914, price levels were very uncertain and several 

 of the concerns were driven out of business. 



Up to the time of this war the prices obtained for acetate of lime 

 varied between $1.25 to $2.00 per hundred pounds. Since August i, 1914, 

 the following price levels have been obtained: 



August to October, 1914 $1 . 50 per 100 lb. 



November, 1914 i . 75 per 100 lb. 



December, 1914 2 . 00 per 100 lb. 



January, 191 5 2 .00 per 100 lb. 



February to May, 1915 2 . 50 per 100 lb. 



June to August, 1915 3 . 50 per 100 lb. 



September to October, 1915 4.00 per 100 lb. 



November to December, 1915 5 .00 per 100 lb. 



January, 1916 , 6 . 00 per 100 lb. 



February to August, 1916 7 .00 per 100 lb. 



September, 1916 5 . 00 per 100 lb. 



October, 1916 3 . 50 per 100 lb. 



In regard to wood alcohol, the prices have also fluctuated considerably. 

 Quotations varied between 30 cents and 45 cents per gal. for the crude 

 82 per cent alcohol. Since the outbreak of the war, however, the use of 

 both wood alcohol and acetate of lime have been greatly stimulated 

 for their use in the manufacture of certain war munitions and the prices 

 have steadily advanced. 



During the year 1914 the market price of 82 per cent crude wood 

 alcohol was 25 cents per gallon delivered to the refineries in tank cars 

 and the price of 95 per cent refined delivered to buyers in free wooden 

 barrels to points east of the Mississippi River, 45 cents per gallon for i 

 to 10 bbl. lots and a small discount in carloads. Prices held at these 

 figures until October, 1915, when the price of 95 per cent refined good 

 alcohol began to advance first to 50 cents, later to 55 cents, then on 



