PRODUCTION OF LUMBER, LATH, AND SHINGLES. 5 
ever, of about 300 mills that were class 5 in previous years, 100 were 
idle in 1915, 150 cut less than 10,000,000 feet, and the rest were out 
of business. In addition to the class 5 mills reporting, it is estimated 
that 25 more such mills were active in 1915. On the basis in some 
cases of estimates and in others of the average cut of the mills re- 
porting, the entire number of class 5 mills active in 1915 — 846 — ■ 
probably cut 20,669,746,000 feet. 
Four hundred and twenty-two class 4 mills reported their 1915 
cut as 3,000,522,000 feet. The number of such mills was much smaller 
than in previous years, owing mainly to the fact that a great many 
mills which were class 4 in 1914 dropped to lower classes or were 
idle in 1915. It is estimated that 453 class 4 mills operated in 1915. 
On the basis of the average production of those reporting, the 453 
had a total cut of probably 3,224,448,000 feet. 
Two thousand two hundred and nineteen class 3 mills reported 
a 191§ production of 4,368,641,000 feet. On the basis of the Census 
figures for 1914, and the increases or decreases in production by 
States shown above, it is estimated that 3,191 class 3 mills operated in 
1915. On the basis of the average cut of those reporting, the total 
cut of this class is estimated at 6,201,864,000 feet. 
Two thousand three hundred and thirty-one class 2 mills re- 
ported a cut of 1,578,729,000 feet. In the same way as for class 3, 
it is estimated that 4,198 class 2 mills were active in 1914 and pro- 
duced a total of 2,941,264,000 feet. 
Class 1 mills to the number of 11,022 reported their 1915 produc- 
tion as 2,068,393,000 feet. In poor business years a great many small 
mills do not operate and curtailment by larger mills drops many 
into this class. With consideration also for the number of class 1 
mills reported active in 1914 by the Bureau of the Census, the num- 
ber of class 1 mills in previous years, and the per cents of increase 
or decrease in production, it is estimated that 21,263 mills of this 
class were active in 1915. On the basis of the average cut of those 
reporting, the total cut of the class was 3,974,334,000 feet. 
In this manner the probable total cut of 37,011,656,000 feet was 
computed. It is believed that either a report was secured or an es- 
timate made for every class 5 mill active in 1915. The number of 
active class 4 mills is placed as high as is warranted by the data at 
hand, while in the case of classes 3 and 2 the estimate of the total 
number operating is as high as the facts warrant. While Table 2 
shows that the estimated number of class 1 mills active in 1915 forms 
a little greater proportion of all mills than does class 1 in previous 
years, it is possible that a few thousand more class 1 mills may have 
operated than are shown, but in any event it seems improbable that 
the total cut of lumber in 1915 was more than 38,000,000,000 feet. 
