2 BULLETIN 232, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Attention is called to the fact that the (sae for ees years 
are not exactly comparable on account of the varying number of 
small mills which made returns in the different years. _In 1899 and 
1909 the enumeration was exceptionally complete, special agents of 
the Bureau of the Census canvassing the mills in connection with the 
decennial census of manufacturers. Further, mills reporting less than 
50,000 feet of lumber were omitted from the statistics for 1910 and 
later, and the census of 1904 was limited to merchant mills, thus ex- 
cluding probably a somewhat larger proportion, while for the other 
years previous to 1910, except 1904, all mills for which reports were 
secured are included in the statistics. The figures for 1907, 1908, 
1910, 1911, and 1912 were secured by correspondence methods which 
make the figures for those years more nearly comparable. 
The census for 1913 is characterized by the grouping of mills into 
capacity classes and concentrating efforts upon an attempt to secure 
as complete a census as possible by correspondence from the mills in 
the larger classes, without attempting to follow up reports from 
thousands of small mills. It is believed that if the figures are separated 
in this manner in this and succeeding presentations of annual lumber 
statistics a ready means of comparison of the production of the mills 
- in different years will be afforded, even though the number of small 
mills reporting may vary considerably. 
Table 1 shows the lumber cut for each year since 1899 from which — 
data have been compiled and the number of active mills reporting 
each year. 
TaBLE 1.—Number of active milis reporting and quantity of lumber, 1899-1913. 
Number of Lumber Number of Lumber 
Year. active mills ue quantity, Year. active mills; (quantity, 
reporting. | M feet b. m.). reporting. | M feet b. m.). 
EQS Ss: ace i 21, 668 38, 387, 009 BQOS 22 oho ets 31, 231 | 33, 224, 369 
BOD) Ser SIs 29, 648 39, 158, 414 LOO Pesos ta re ete 28, 850 40, 256, 154 
LOUbess. SEE Ss 28, 107 37, 003, 207 (906 <a 5 SS oe. 22, 393 37, 550, 736 
LOMO eS Soe ea ace. 31, 934 40018-28200 lh 1904s eee 18, 277 34, 135, 139 
I ee ee 48,112 44,509, 761 18992 SLE ae ee dee 31, 833 35, 084, 166 
i 
1Jn 1913 the number of active mills includes only those cutting lumber, while the figures for the other 
years include mills cutting lath and shingles as well as lumber. 
In 1913, 21,394 mills reported a production of 38,387,009,000 board 
feet, as against 39,158,414,000 feet reported by 29,648 mills in 1912, 
and 37,003,207,000 feet reported by 28,107 mills in 1911. Although 
about 8,000 fewer mills reported in 1913 than in 1912 many were 
exclusively shingle mills, while most of the lumber mills not report- 
ing were of small capacity and the inclusion of their reports would not 
change the total production in the same ratio. 
The production mn 1913 of nearly as much lumber as in 1912 is of 
special significance in view of the business conditions which have 
