UTILIZATION OF DOGWOOD AJSTD PERSIMMON 9 
Of the 15.500 cords used in 1923, about 90 per cent, or 14.000 
cords, was used for shuttle blocks. The remaining 1.500 cords was 
used for other products. As the average cord of dogwood will 
yield 400 shuttle blocks, the 14.000 cords represented a production 
of about 5.600.000 dogwood shuttle blocks. The year 1923 was. how- 
ever, a year of higher than usual production. Ordinarily 3.500.000 
to 4.500^.000 dogwood blocks are produced annually. Reliable pro- 
duction figures for early years are not available. 
Because dogwood has always been considered a minor species in 
the statistical work of the Forest Service and the Bureau of the 
Census, complete reports from all producers of dogwood products 
have never been obtained. Consequently, estimates of their pro- 
duction are more satisfactory than statistics derived from incomplete 
reports. It is perhaps safe to gauge the increase in production of 
dogwood by the increase in number of textile looms throughout the 
world. 
Most of the shuttle-block mills in North Carolina and Tennessee 
have been there for many years, but dogwood bolts are now shipped 
to these mills from other States, because of the shortage of mate- 
rial near at hand. Only a few years ago dogwood in Mississippi 
and Louisiana was entirely ignored by the yellow pine operators, 
and was knocked down and uprooted by steam skidders in getting 
out the pine. At present in many areas they sell the standing dog- 
wood to contractors who remove it before the yellow pine timber 
cutters and skidders get into the areas. Most pine operators have 
realized that dogwood is one of the highest priced native woods 
on the market and have found its sale profitable. 
Although in North Carolina and Tennessee dogwood in commer- 
cial sizes has been heavily cut and is fast diminishing, there are 
regions in the United States where dogwood is not being cut over 
faster than it grows. Xew Jersey. Maryland. West Virginia, and 
Kentucky continue, as they have in past years, to furnish small 
quantities of the wood for mine sprags. mine rollers, shuttle blocks, 
mallets, and products made locally. These latter States, unfor- 
tunately, are north of the region of best development for dogwood, 
and can therefore never be counted upon to furnish a supply equal 
to the total demand. In Texas also, which is southwest of the 
region of best development, dogwood growth keeps pace with cut. 
PERSIMMON 
The estimated stand of persimmon timber, as shown in Figure 4 for 
the States where it is available for commercial use. totals 600,000 
cords. This estimate, like that for dogwood, does not apply to all 
the standing trees, but to that timber which occurs in large enough 
size and in sufficient quantity to be worth cutting and marketing. 
Here, too, the estimate is rough and is based upon a knowledge 
of the history of cutting persimmon, a knowledge of the forested 
areas of the United States, the opinions of dealers of many years' 
standing, and a knowledge of the present annual consumption of 
persimmon. It is certain that more and more persimmon is being 
used each year in place of dogwood. The larger supply of the tim- 
ber and the larger average size of the trees, with more clear material, 
103115°— 26 2 
