Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-29
WALNUT TIMBER.
THE SUPPLY BECOMING SCARCE AND FUR.
NITURE MANUFACTURERS TROUBLED.

The Cincinnati Commercial saws
"Walnut timber is becoming so scarce
as TO give furniture manufacturers in
all parts of the country much trouble
Tho Northeastern Lunbermdn states
that in consequence of the rapid de.
crease in the supply Of this wood some
grades Of it have, in several of the lead
ing 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 unscru.
pulous buyers have offered mill men an
advance OF from five to ten dollars q
thousand for their cut if they will re.
pudiate the contracts which hold it,
Theincreasing scarcity ofwalnut seems
to have attracted the attention of the
dealers generally only within year or
two. A few, however more foresight.
cd than their fellows, anticipated the
famine, and have prepared it. One
concern for several years past bought
freely, and TO come into competition
with il, other dealers who thought il
was buying recklessly, were forced
either TO pay more than current rates
or leave the field. result this con.
cern has piles of walnut throughout
the Southern Central States, and il 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 invest.
ment There has been some talk
among furniture men ofmahogany TAX
ing the place of walnut, but this the
LumberBlan thinks is impossible, the
supply being not half sufficient. It
says
"The impossibility of procuring ma.
hogany in desirable quantities may be
better understood when it 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 |
vessels into the mahogany carrying
business. Many of the coasts of the |
countries whenceit comes are wanting
in good harbors, and as the vessels are
obliged to anchor a mile or so from
shore and having the logs RATED to
them, the cyclones that sweep over
that latitude are liable to destroy them.
.Sst year we read of the destruction
ofseveral vessels engaged in that trade,
and as there are but comparatively few
in it, it shows that the business is a
risky one"
1t is probable that when the walnut
is all gone other native woods will take
its place, Several varieties, such as
red oak, birch, beech and even black
ash, which have heretofore received
attention, are now being used to q con.
siderable extent Many people who
own lands that are unfit for cultivation
would do wisely to plant them in wal
nut trees. Land so utilized would, in
few years, not only be u source of
much profit, but during the lnterven.
bqga bga YEARS the ES trees would boautify it.
breaks and tend to induce betteP Pteg. |
llated rainfall. That walnut can be
cultivated in this country
there is no doubt. Near Oneida, Mis-
souri,, are a number of thrifty walnut
groves. The trees wero obtained from
The seed, The groves range from ten
10 fifteen years old, and the trees are
from twenty to forty feet high and
from four to eight inches in diameter
In some parts OF Kansas walnut trees
have grown fifteen feet high from the
seed in six years. In Wisconsin q gen.
tleman who had piece of land unfit
for ordinary cultivation planted 1t in
walnut and in twenty.three years the
trees were from sixteen to twenty
inches in diameter. Several hundred
acres OF such trees would now be worth
q fortune. Many a landlord farmer
might make his land profitable by set
ting it out in walnut trees, which will
never eat their headso of, and will yearly
in value.