The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-08-08

Valuable Timber Trec-1sed Gum on
the Market Found i'm Immense Area
Throughout the Eastern Part uf tho
State

A few weeks ago there was published
lin The News and Observer an inter-
view with Mr.. William Dunn, of New
Bern, OF the red gum. or as some call
lit, sweet gum or star-leafed gum, that
is found in wonderful abundance in
this state. Red gum is perhaps the
Icommonest timber tree in the hard
wood bottoms and drier swamps of the
South, and recent experiments near
New Bern had demonstrated this wood
Ito be of large commercial value. These
were discussed by Mr.. Dunn, and the
article antedated a bulletin issued by
the United States Department Of Agri-
Iculture, on the Red Gum. This bulle-
tin treats fully Of the subject, and re-
Iveals the fact that there are in the
swamp lands of North Carolina wealth
that was never before dreamed of, and
countless numbers of trees that are
valuable for marketable purposes have
lbeen felled and burned as useless. But
the supply is in~exhaustible, and it is
Impossible to calculate the approx
Imateyalue of the landS containing the
lred gum.
Red gun grows in mixture With ash,
cottonwood, and oak throughout the
hardwood bottom lands of the South.
lThes rich, alluvial bottoms are among
the best natural farming lands of the
lregiOn. In the past the gum, having
Ino marketable value, has been left
standing after logging, or, where the
land has been cleared for farming, has
been girdled and allowed to rot, and
then felled and burned as trash. Not
lcnly were the trees a total loss to the
farmer, but from their size and the Ia
dor required to handle them, they
were so serious an obstruction as often
Ito preclude the clearing of valuable
Hand. Now, however, that there is a
market for the timber it will be profit
liable to cut the gum with the other
|hardwOOds, and land can be cleared
more cheaply. This increase in the
lvalue of gum timber Will also bring
ImOre sawmills into the South, and in
Imany ways is going to be of great ben
left to the Southern landowner. In
logging operations, now that practically
Jail of the hardwoods are merchantable
ia cleaner numbering job can be made
land the value of the land for forest
management will be greatly increased.
lWhere only a few trees in the forest
Iare Of understandable value, forest man
lagement is out of the question; where
NEARLY all are Of value it will often pay
Ito hold the land for a second crop.
In this country a constantly increas-
ing quantity of red gum is used in the
manufacturing of furniture. The COM
~~o rrr,Ioc WAC ,,n1n into I3.n yxynrC
frames and backing, for desks, bed
lsteads, tables, etc. The furniture fac
tories in the cities use annually no.
100000 and 6O,OOO,OOO board feet Of this
lumber, figures which show that red
lgum is becoming a thoroughly estab-
llished wood in the market.
One of the most important uses of
tred gum is for interior finish. Stain
ed or in it's natural color, it may be
made very attractive, and when prop
lerly seasoned fulflls every require
lment of a first-class wood for that
purpose.
Fol- the manufacture of slack barrels
Ired gum is now one Of the most impor-
liant woods in the country. Practically
Jail Of the manufacturers of slaves,
headings, and hoops in the Mississippi
tNGliCy are uSlDS gull. W W tAC ySol
1880 elm and a little cottonwood We're
used for this purpose, but, with the
advance in price of these woods a sub
lstitute had to be found, and rcd gum,
lowing to its cheapness, was experiment
led with and found to be quite satisfac.
tory. The objection was at first rails
led that it tended to break i'll bending,
hut after much experiment 1t was
ifor,n7 <ho% 1vy cfC 1aninT # moro tho
cottonwood or elm, the ~breakage was
l~greatly decreased, and at the present
thine the percentage is no larger than
lin these other woods.
The relative price of logs delivered
lat the mill is Sc to 81 per 1000 board
fleet, against SO to $40 for elm and
labout $12 for cottonwood. The gum
lis, therefore, % to so per cent. cheaper
than these other haIlwoods. ?
The use Of gum in the manufacture
, lof tight barrels, such as are used for
Tell, molasses, whiskey, ETC., is now in
1.-THE experimental stage. Some few
tbarrels have been made, but they have
trot as yet been introduced on the mar
tket. In the experimental stage the
wood has been found easy to bend, and
being free from knots, it makes a good
IJoint and SENS to fill all necessary re-
lquirements.
During the last six years lumber
dealers have been introducing red gum
flooring on the market They adver-
Itise it as lasting longer than any other
wood now used in flooring, as having
a smoother surface, and as being easier
Ito handle. They claim that they thor
loughly dry the timber before dispos-
ling of it to the trade, and in this man.
lner overcome all objections to it
Red gum logs can be brought from
THE river, run through the saw, and
trimmed and edged for from $3.50 to
l$3 per thousand board feet. Grading
land piling usually cost, in the large
lmills, from 20 to so cents per thousand.
This, added to the price paid for the
Hogs delivered in the pond, which is
from Sc to 81 per thousand board feet,
land with nropQr allowance for tho cap-