Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-03-27
CONSUMPTION OF WOOD.

CONSUMPTION OF WOOD.
Some cf ths Numberless Uscs to- which
Timber Is Put.
Mfny interesting items in regard to
the consumption of wood material in
this country have been gathered from
various sources, and compiled by the
chief OF the Forestry division, which
are not only interesting as showing the
enormous amount used in some of the
most important Industries, but also as
exhibiting in minor ones that are sell
dom taken Into account, consumption
greatly In excess of the popular under
standing on the subject. The annual
consumption of wood in railroad build
ing Is computed at 500, 600, 900 cubic
feet. One copper mine in Butte City
used last year ID, 100000 feet, board
measure, for timbering its works, and
600 cords of wood daily for the reduc-
ton and other purposes. ...>
1t is estimated that one of the largest
lake vessels requires the oak furnished
by about two thousand first-class trees,
such as can hardly be found in our for
ests. The wooden pumps made an
nually consume from 100000 to
10000, 600 feet of poplar lumber The
wood manufactures of Chicago for 1887
are credited with product of 1874, $780,
900 in value. The manufacture of
doors. sashes and blinds is calculated
to need an annual supply Of 100000
cubic feet of INV material. The prod
uce of looking and picture frames
alone is valued at $4. o71,248.
Not less than 10O,O0O,OOO cubic feet
are required for car building, and this
must be of excellent quality. The
material for carriage and wagon build
ing is valued at over $4,000, 900, and
wood of special good qualities is re-
quired. Furniture factories are re-
ported as using over $3.50, 600, 900 worth
of lumber, while the wood in sewing
machines alone is valued at 1880, 900.
Seven million dollars worth of inferior
lumber is used in packing cases, while
collins require $3.50, 900 worth of the
best.
One firm in Maine uses over 100, 600
cubic feet, mainly birch, for spools;
other firms use large quantities for the
same purpose. One pennsylvania fac
tory, not the largest, employs con-
stantly twenty-five men and fourteen
teams to cut and haul maple logs for
the manufacture of umbrella sticks
selling at Sc to $18 a gross. One
of the steadiest industries is the manu.
facture of wash-boards. Butter-plates,
trays, wooden bowls and clothes-pins
require large quantities of material.
Even the manufacture of the wooden
shoe has found it's way into this coun-
try, and butternut furnished the desir-
able material.
The cooperage interest uses about
eighteen and a half million dollars
worth OF raw material, and the single
product of Michigan alone required in
1887 100000 cubic feet of wood, and
that of the whole country probably
four times as much. One New Hamp-
shire firm makes 100000 bushels of shoe
pegs, and 100000 cords of birch and
maple are said to be annually converted
nto this shape. Toothpicks and skew
rs require large amounts of wood an
'ually. and one match factory, out of
dozen or more, reports it's need of
raw material at 100000 feet of best
white pine. Three factories of excel
sior in Michigan, not to mention others,
consumed nearly 10000 cords of bass
wood in 1887. Altogether the numer-
Gus wood-pulp factories converted from
$4,000 to 100000 cords of wood into
pulp annually. Only a portion of the
almost numberless uses for which wood
is required have been mentioned, but
enough to set land owners to consider
ing the best methods of forestry and
forest preservation for supplying the
wants of the future.-N. Y. World.