The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-01-09
WOOD FOR PAPER COSTS TWEEN
TY-SIX MILLIONS.
The Publisher Pays Much More for
HlsStOck Than He Did Last
Year.

lbudf thtft II Rtusfhl fotupihlHt
among publishers that printing paper
is constantly growing dearer. In the
Middle West many local papers ae
raising their subscription price 80 per
cent IN order 10 pay for the paper.
From the time when Gutenberg first
used movable type, made OF wood. TO
the present day of metropolitan papers,
some of which consume the product of
acres of spruce IN n single edition,
printing has in very large degree de-
pended upon the forest.
In the face of threatened shortage
Of timber, the amount Of wood con
sumed each year for pulp has increased
since 1899 from two million TO three
and one-half million cords. The year
1906 marked an increase of 80, 900 cords
in the imports of pulpwood, the highest
average value per cord for all kinds,
and a consumption greater by 400, O53
cords than that of any previous year.
Spruce, the wood from which in 1899
three-fourihs Of the pulp was manufac-
tured, is still the leading wood, but it
now produces little less than 70 per
cent of the total. How well spruce is
suited to the manufacture of pulp is
shown by the fact that during n period
in which the total quantity of wood
used has doubled and many new woods
have been introduced, the proportion
Of aprnee polpwoo,i has remainbd near
ly constant in spite of the drains npon
the spruce for other purposeJ. During
this time three different woods, from
widely separated regions, have in turn
held the rank of leader in the lumber
supply.
Since 1899, poplar, which for years
was used in connection with spruce to
the exclusion of all other paper woods,
has increased in total quantity less than
100, 900 cords, and is now outranked by
hemlock. Pine, balsam, and cottonwood
are used in much smaller amounts.
New York alone consumes each year
over "A million and quarter cords Of
wood in the manufacture OF pulp, or
more than twice as much as Maine,
which ranks next. Wisconsin, New
Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Michi
gan follow in the order given. Sixty
per cent of the wood used in New York
was imported from elsewhere, and even
so the supply appears 10 be waning,
since the total consumption for the
State shows small decrease since
1905, whereas the other States named
have all increased their consumption.
Other States important in the produc
ton of pulp are; Massachusetts, Min
nesota, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Vir-
ginia, and West Virginia.
The average cost ofpulp delivered at
the mill was 1921. The total value of
the wood consumed in 1906 was &c.
400, 900. The chief item determining
the price Of paper is the cost Of pulp.
An example Of the increased price of
paper is found in the case of a publish
er of a daily in the Middle West, who
recently paid 81 200 for carload of
paper. The same quantity and grade
OF paper cost year ogo but $500.
The chemical process of paper max
ing, which better preserve the wood
fiber, are gaining over the mechanical
process. In 1893, 60 per cent of tie
wood was reduced by the mechanical
process; in 1906, less than 80 per cent.
All importations of wood for pulp
are from Canada, aud comprised, in
1906, 739, 900 cords, nearly all OF which
wasspruce. Four and half million
dollars worth of pulp was imported in
1906, slight falling off from 1906.
Circular 100 OF the Forest Service
contains a discussion OF the consump-
ion of pulpwood in 1906. based on
statistics gathered by the Bureau Of
he Census and the Forest Service.
The pamphlet can be bad upon appli,
alton o the Forester, United States 4
Department Of Agriculture, Washing
ou, ID. c.