Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-05-26

lied.
Taking warning by the condition Of the trade,
and partly from short supplies Of money, the
preparations for numbering in the winter OF
lo69-T0 were made on reduced scale. Inc
stock of logs lei over united to the stock got In
when sawed, gave a supply Of Manufactured
lumber adequate TO meet the large demand ana
consumption Of 1870.
The liberal and increasing consumption OF the
Western and Middle States during 1870, demon
strated, at its close, the fact - that consump-
ticn had overtsken production" and that the
excessive product Of 1869 had been absorbed. In
December, 1870, and January Of this year,
prices rose in the Saginaw Valley, under this
conviction, over fifteen per cent, with demand
for spring delivery that absorbed sl the dry
lumber unsold in market. This rise was pre-
vious to the partial failure Of numbering this
past winter, and was not owing to 1t.
The numbering season Of lS70-7l, showed a
large and vigorous preparation, equal to pro-
ducing full ave age crop of logs with favor
able winter The result hss been partial DIS
appointment, from the early breaking up oil
winter and the loss Of the month Of March IN
lumber operstions,-too much snow IN some
parts too little in others. The log crop Will
prove % per cent. short generally in the west
ern States and Pennsylvania. The West will
take ali Inc western lulLntl u A4CtA NINAA -
crossing wants, excepting clear stuff, which the
Eastern markets must have, and the lumber cut
BY mill men having yards at Albany and New
York. To Western lumbermen the Eastern
mSrket will be of less Importance and it is safe
10 hazard the opinion thar the close Of 1871 will
leave little manufactured lumber 10 60 into the
CONSUMPTION Of 1872, and that full prices will
rule Buyers in large numbers have already
gone into the Saginaw market, esger to buy
green lumber, 10 be saWn, at an advance OF 10
to 20 per cent. over the prices Of Nov. 1870; and
some sales have been made Of the entire product
Of mills at the market prices when delivered.
When the stocks Of oll lumber in the country IN
local wards are sold of, and the shortage of logs
is realized, lumber must improve in price, but
until they begin to sell on new stock, the large
dealers in the main markets will endeaSor 10
make contracts at low prices.
The supplies in the local yards through the
country. " east and vest are light, the city
Of New York beng almost the only exception.
Chicago and the Lake Erie ports. particularly
Cleveland, will this year, for the first time, con-
sumo Canada lumber literally, and already con-
siderable amounts have been contracted for
from Georgian Bay and other parts of the Prov
ince Of Ontario.
The supplies OF manufactured lumber Of 1870,
to come forward into the United States from the
Ottawa district this spring, by the statistics
given at the mills, will be hght-45, OOO,OOO
feet as against l40, 600 600 in the spring Of 1870
and receipts will be diminished during 1871
from this quarter from the following causes
The trade in boards for the United States was
losing one during 1869 and 1870. The export
trade from Montreal and Quebec, in deals and
square timber. vas very large and very profits
BILE, and some Of the large mills on the ottawa
have turned, and others are likely to turn, their
cutting entirely to the supply Of those markets.
1t PAYS best The amount is sufficiently
large to materially effect the export trade to the
United States 1t is thought thst the supply
from Canada will nos be over 500 100000 this
year possibly 1t mag resch 55O,OOo,OOO.
Il IS considered safe to say that the sales Of
white pine in Albany in 1870 did not average
cost and charges. The sales on commission paid
a loss; while others, possessing every advantage
Of skill, experience, and capital, who sold their
own lumber, acknowledged loss on over hail
their sales, as before stated
The position is now being reversed, and as
the year advances the seller will hold the best
hsad. and desers may see sudden and sharp
rise before September.
In the present. when we know every field Of
white pine lumber left, increasing population
AMI increasing wants, " and decreasing area Of
supply" make tie question Of future supplies
one Of great and serions importance ' We have
no new fields to 20 to- Twenty years from
now tie wants o. ffty-fve TO sixty millions Of
people are TO be supplied in some manner, in
stesd q the present thirty-uine millions. Iron,
stone and brick viii Of necessity be largely sub
stiiGted, but IS long as pine lasts 1t will be used
in preference throughout the country, outside OF
cities Within the limit Of a single generation
the production Of white pine lumber will cease
70 be one Of the large sources Of national wealth.
Canada Is, and will be for many years, the
great source of supply for New England, the
States Of Ne. York and New Jersey, the coast
cities, and within Jew years. Pennsylvania.
Possessing vast territory, with large resources
Of timber, Us capacity Of production is great
but it is q hard country TO lumber in, and it
has also 10 meet the large aud increasing de-
mani Of Great Britain, Of Europe, South Anne
rics, Australia, and other parts Of the world.
Its forests suffer fesrfully from fires well as by
a wsstefIl system Of numbering. Il has also an
immense amount Of oyer-ripe pine. Strsnge as
il may seem, it is fact that the finest qualities
Of pine in Michigan arc being cut TO = limited
extent for the Quebec market.
SIX TO seven hundred million feet OF pine are
annually imported into the United States from
Canada Their cutting for export and home
CONSUMPTION may be estimsted a. 700 millions
more. Allowing their supplies to increase an
nuslly there msy be question whether they
will grow more rapidly than the increasing
wzats Of the markets they will be called on to
supply. The statistics Of the lumber business in
the United States, though by no means full or
perfect. show ratio Of increase since 1860 be
You'd all precedent in the past. L has become an
interest OF enormous magnitude. VIII it con-
tinue to increase in the same proportions' The
future will determine the question" To every
appearance It will
he question Of future supplies. the limit Of
value that will be reached, as well as the value
Of timber lands, may well be studied Pine
trees DO lot grow in a day, snd, as a general
rule, when they are cut down other kinds Of
timber spring up, and the attempt at cultivs-
ton has yet TO be made and determined in the
future.
Heretofore the profits OF lumber have gone TO
tie mills Hereafter they will 20 more and more
TO the lands AMI less 10 the manufacturer who is
not stocked with lands, and their increasing
cost will add materially to the cost Of lumber.
United States lands are nearly taken up, and few
are to be obtained that could be operated on at
the present day. Each year lumber operations
are carried farther up. or fartbec from floating
streams, often requiring two years to run part
Of the logs, and increasing the cost. The day |
for very cheap lumber or very cheap lands is I
past, and it is doubtful whether the low prices
Of pine lumber in $50 will ever be seen again, /
Il the peaceful industry Of the country goes on /
without disturbance from domestic commissions |
or foreign wars.