THE FOKEST BESOUKCES OF THE WORLD. 



33 



WOOD PRICES. 



Since the United Kingdom buys nearly half the total export of all 

 the countries of the globe, the wood prices in the English market 

 affect practically the whole world. It will, therefore, be of interest to 

 compare the prices for the different kinds of wood imported for a 

 long period of years. The following average annual import prices 

 are borrowed from the Statistical Abstracts for the United Kingdom 

 (1892-1900), covering a period of twenty-four years: 



Table 10. — Prices in cents per cubic foot of imported woods in the United Kingdom. 





Round and hewn logs. 



Sawed lumber. 



Year. 



Pine and 

 spruce. 



Oak. 



Teak. 



Pine and 

 spruce. 



Staves. 



1877 



22.6 

 19.7 

 17.2 

 19.5 

 19.7 

 20.2 

 19.5 

 17.4 

 16.9 

 14.9 

 14.0 

 15.0 

 16.7 

 15.4 

 14.2 

 14.2 

 13.2 

 12.6 

 12.8 

 13.4 

 13.6 

 13.9 

 13.7 

 14.5 



58.8 

 55.6 

 48.7 

 54.4 

 56.4 

 58.2 

 57.5 

 54.5 

 54.1 

 53.7 

 52.1 

 51.1 

 54.6 

 53.8 

 • 55.6 

 55.6 

 55.7 

 57.0 

 54.9 

 56.0 

 54.3 

 53.4 

 53.2 

 55.4 



109.8 

 92.8 

 91.5 

 114.5 

 125.6 

 121.6 

 134.4 

 137.0 

 127.3 

 115.1 

 98.3 

 109.3 

 112.8 

 106.7 

 97.0 

 100.9 

 97.4 

 99.2 

 91.4 

 100.4 

 109.9 

 111.2 

 114.6 

 117.7 





59 7 



1878 





46.2 



1879 





45.7 



1880 





42.9 



1881 





46.7 



1882 



25.1 

 23.5 

 22.1 

 21.9 

 20.8 

 19.8 

 21.1 

 23.6 

 22.2 

 20.2 

 20.6 

 20.2 

 20.5 

 19.7 

 20.8 

 22.2 

 22.2 

 22.8 

 26.3 



48.9 



1883 



42.8 



1884 



38.8 



1885 



40.8 



1886 . - 



38.4 



1887 



38.8 



1888 



38.7 



1889 



38.5 



1890 . 



40.5 



1891 



42.8 



1892 



41.2 



1893 . ... 



36.7 



1894 



38.7 



1895 



38.8 



1896 .... 



49.8 



1897 



42.4 



1898 



43.8 



1899 



49.3 



1900 



46.9 







The lowest price for pine and spruce logs was in 1894. In general, 

 the prices of log timber imported into the United Kingdom were 

 lower in the nineties as compared with the prices that prevailed in the 

 seventies. This may be accounted for by a change in the kind and 

 quantity of logs imported. In the seventies the importations con- 

 sisted chiefly of large logs, while now the timber imported is gener- 

 ally of smaller size and a great deal of it is for mine timbers and 

 pulp. The prices for logs are comparatively uniform. Teak is used 

 m large quantities for the navy, and its price depends not only on the 

 supply, but also on the demand for it. Lately there has been a great 

 demand for the building of the navy and merchant marine, which 

 has increased the price of teak. 



The prices for sawed lumber had fallen greatly by 1895, but since 

 then they have shown a continuous increase. The prices for staves 

 were also low in 1894 and 1895, but lately have shown a tendency to 

 rise. (Table 11.) 



It is also of interest to compare the prices which different coun- 

 tries have commanded for their timber. 



55826°— Bull. 83—10 3 



