The Osceola times., 1881-07-09
THE WALNUT SUPPLY.
The Timber Becoming scarce as to Give
Furniture Manufacturers Much Trouble.
cincinnati Commercial

cincinnati Commercial.l
Walnut timber is becoming SO scarce
as to give furniture manufacturers IN all
parts of the country much trouble. The
N0rthWestern Lltmbcrman states that in
consequence of the rapid decrease in the
supply of this wood some grades OF it
have, in several of the leading markets
of the country, advanced at least twelve
dollars "A thousand in the past year.
Dealers, it says, are thick in the walnut
regions, eagerly, and even ravenously
picking up the green lumber, and in
some instances inscriptions buyers
have offered mill men an advance OF
from five TO ten dollars thousand for
their cut if they will repudiate the con,
tracts which hold IL. The increasing
scarcity of walnut seems TO have
attracted the attention of the dealers
generally Only within a year or two. A
few, however, more foresighted than
their fellows, anticipated the famine,
and have prepared for it. One concern,
for several years past, bought freely, and
to compete with it, other dealears who
thought it was buying recklessly, were
forced either to pay more than current
rates or leave the field. As result, this
concern has piles of walnut throughout
the Southern Central States, and it is
holding them in reserve for. the time
when the demand will be so great and
the supply SO inadequate that they will
realize handsomely on their investment
There has been some talk among fur
niture men of mahogany taking the
place Of walnut, but this the Lumbermdn
thinks is impossible, the supply beiag
/ OF half sufficient. 1t says:
The impossibility of procuring ma
hogany in desirable quantities may be
be better understood when il is known
that it is becoming more difficult to get
every year, as the logs have to be
brought from further inland. Another
drawback to the business is that every
vessel owner is not willing TO put his
vessel into the mahogany carrying busl'
ness. Many Of the coasts of the coun-
tries whence it comes are wanting in
good harbors, and as the vessels are
obliged to anchor mile or so from
shore and have the logs RATED to them
the cyclones that sweep over that lati'
tude are liable to destroy them. Las
year we read of the destruction OF sever
al vessels engaged in that trade, and as
there are but comparatively few in it, il
shows that the business is risky one
1t is probable that when the walnut j.
all gone other native woods will take il
place. Several varieties, such as red oak
birch, beech and even black ash, which
have heretofore received little attention
are now being used TO considerable ex
tent.
Many people who own lands that are
unfit for cultivation would do wisely t
plant them in walnut trees.
Land so utilized would, in a few year
not only be source of much profit, bu
during the intervening years the tree,
would boaulity it, and at the same tim,
serve as wind-brcaks and tend to Undue,
better regulated rainfall.
That walnut can be successfully cult
waited in this country there is no doubt
Near Oneida, Mo-, are number O
thrifty walnut groves. The trees were
obtained from the seed, the groves rang
ed from ten to fifteen years old, and tht
trees are from twenty TO forty feet higl
and from four to eight inches in diane
ter. in some parts of Kansas walnu
trees have grown fifteen feet high from
the seed in six wears. In Wisconsin, {
gentleman who had piece of land unf
for ordinary cultivation, planted it il
walnut, and in twenty-three years The
trees were from sixteen to twenty inches
in diameter. Several hundred acres o
such trees would now be worth for
tune. Many a landlord farmer nigh
make his land profitable by setting i
out in walnut trees, which will neve
eat their heads oil, and will yearly in
crease in Xalue.