Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-08
Wood for Paper Costs Twenty-six
Millions.

To-day there is u general COM
plaint among publishers that print
ing paper is constantly growing
dearer. In tho Middle West many
local papers are raising their sub
scriptjon price so per cent in order
to pay for the paper. From the time
when Gutenberg first used movoble
type nnd, of wool to the present
day Of metr ,politan papers, some Of
which consume the product of acres
of spruce in single edition, print
ing has in very Large degree depend
ed upon the forest.
In face Of threatened shortage
of timber, the amonnt of wood con
sumo | each year for pulp has in
creased since 1899 from 2 million to
3a million cords. The year 1906
marked an increase of $4,000 cords
in the imports of pulpwood, the
higest average value per cord for all
kinds, and consumption greater
by 469,053 cords than that of any
previous year.
Spruce, the wood from which in
1899 three-foarths of the pulp was
manufactured, is still the leading
wood, but it now produces little
less than 10 per cent of the total.
How we'll Spruce is suited to the
manufacture of pulp is shown by
the fact that during a period in
which the total quantity Of wood
used has doubled and many new
woods have been introduced, the
proportion of spruce pulpwood has
remained nearly constant in spite
of the drains upon the spruce
forests for other purposes. 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
paper woods, has increased in total
quantity less than 100000 cords,
and is now outranked by hemlock.
Pine, balsam and cottonwood are
used in much smaller emounts.
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. Wiscon-
sin, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania,
and Michigan follow is the order
given. Sixty per cent of the wood
used in New York was imported
from elsewhere, and even SO the sup
ply appears to 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 pro-
duction of pulp are: Massachusetts,
Minnesota, Ohio, Oegon, Vermont,
Virginia, and West Virginia.
The average cost of pulp deliver
ed at the mill was $7,2l. The total
value of the wood consumed in 1906
was $26,4OO,O0O. 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 publisher of daily in
the Middle West, who recently paid
81, 200 for carload of paper. The
same quantity and grade of pape,
cost year ago but $500.
The chemical process of pape,
making, which better preserve the
wood fiber, are gaining over the
mechanical process. In 1899, 65
per cent Of the wood was reduced by
the mechanical process; in 1906, less
than so per cent.
| All importations of wood for pull
are from Canada, and comprised, il
1906, 10000 cords, nearly all o
which was spruce. Four and hal
million dollars worth of pulp wa
important in 1906, slight falling
off from 1905.
Circular l2O of the Forest Servic,
contains discussion of the consump
ton Of pulpwood in 1906, based o,
statistics gathered by the Bureau o
the Census and the Forest Service
The pamphlet can be had upon ap
plication to the Forester, Unite,
States Department of Agriculture
Washington, ID. G.