Fuelwood 



Other Products 



Fuel is the largest single use of wood in Tennessee, 

 exceeding even sawlog use. Most fuelwood is cut by 

 farmers for domestic consumption. The total output 

 of 1.7 million cords in 1949 comprised 47 percent 

 of all timber products. However, more than one- 

 third was cut from cull trees, or other non-growing- 

 stock sources, and represents, in general, an effective 

 utilization of this material. Approximately 66 per- 

 cent of the total was from red and white oaks, 23 

 percent from other hardwoods, and 11 percent from 

 softwoods. 



Though wood is still one of the most common fuels 

 in rural areas, it is estimated that consumption has 

 decreased by more than 50 percent during the past 

 40 years. Further declines are in prospect as farmers 

 continue to shift to other fuels. 



All other timber products — chemical wood, excel- 

 sior, handle stock, poles, piling, shuttle blocks, and 

 numerous miscellaneous items — provided only 5 

 percent of the 1949 timber output and are less im- 

 portant to Tennessee's economy than most of those 

 discussed previously. Handle bolts and chemical 

 wood made up almost half of these commodities. 

 Most of the 61 mills manufacturing handle stock are 

 centered in the western part of the State (fig. 29); 

 the 2 plants processing chemical wood by distillation 

 are at Memphis and Wrigley. In addition, there 

 are 41 shuttle block mills, 3 commercial wood-treating 

 plants, and some 32 other primary wood-using plants 

 manufacturing such items as excelsior, wagon spokes, 

 redcedar pencil slats, insulator pins, and ski blanks. 



28 



Forest Resource Report No. 9, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



