The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-07-02
sAwsl1LL OUTPUT.
Lumber Cut OF United States for
the Year 1908,

the Year 1908.
During the year 1908, 31,231
sawmills in the United States man
ufactured 33,2S9,369,O0O feet of
lumber, according to a preliminary
report just issued by the Bureau of
the Census. These mills also cut 49,
1O6,4S3, 900 shingles and 1885,
6S4,000 lath. Lumber manufactur-
ing like every other industry felt
the effects of the business depres-
sion which began in October, 1907.
Consequently the production in 1908
was below that for the previous
year. In 1907 the cut of 2S,85O
sawmills was 40,256,154,OOO feet,
the highest production ever record
ed. Notwithstanding, therefore,
that in 1908 reports were received
from eight per cent more mills than
in 1907, the decrease TN lumber cut
reported by them was slightly over
seventeen per cent.
Washington, az for several years
past, still ranks first among the
states in lumber production, its cut
in 1908 being 2,915, 1928, 900 feet
a decrease Of 1928 per cent over the
cut in 1907. Nearly all the lumber
manufactured in Washington is
Douglas fir, the market for which
was seriously affected by the panic.
Louisiana ranks second, with 2,722,-
421.0O0 feet, a decrease of $50, OOO,-
600 feet of S.4 per cent over the
cut in 1907. Louisiana is first in the
production of both yellow pine and
cypress. Cypress is a particularly
useful and valuable wood, and APP
parently,. the manufacturers of it
did not suffer as severely from dull
times as did the manufacturers of
yellow pine and Douglas fir Miss
issippi was the third state in lum-
Der production in 1908, with a total
of 1861, O16,0OO feet a decrease
of eleven per cent from the cut in
1907. Arkansas ranked fourth, with
1856, 991,00O feet-a decrease of
nearly seventeen per cent over the
previous years. output, and Wiscon-
sin fifth, with ,315,0OO feet
against zoos, 279,O00 feet in 1907.
In Texas, where the lumber indus
try is confined almost exclusively to
yellow pine, the falling off was very
heavy. The total cut of the state in
1908 was 1,524,00S,O 900 feet a de-
crease of 31.6- per cent over the cut
i'm 1907. Eight other states man
ufactured more than one billion feet
each Of lumber last year. In order
of Importance they were: Michigan,
Oregon, Minnesota, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Alabama,HHs Carolina,
and Nest Virginia. California and
LMaine, other states which reported
more than one billion feet in 1907,
went just below that figure in 1908.
The totals for a few states were
greater in 1908 than in 1907, but
this was chiefly due to the larger
number of reports secured in those
states in 1908. In Georgia, for i'm
stance, a particularly close canvass
increased the number of mills re-
porting nearly one-third, while the
resulting increase in reports of to-
tai production was only six per cent.
In Massachusetts, 61O mills report.
ed a cut of 3S4,526,O0O feet in 49,
08 as compared with a cut of 1884,
231,000 feet by SIS mills in 1907.
In Colorado 254 mills cut Of 1885,
100000 feet in 1908. while in 1907,
23O mills cut 1~34,239,O0O feet. A
particularly large gain in mills re.
porting was made in Oklahoma. In
1907, 1923 mills in that state cut
4 0,015.000 feet, while In 1908, PA
mills cut 1%5S,756,OO0 feet.
While there are very many large
sawmills in the United States, the
small mills far outpumber the large
ones, and it is particularly interest.
ing to note how many Nof these
small mills there are in the states
which are now of first rank in lum-
Der production. The statistics for
New York were collected by the For
est, Fish and Game Commission OF
that state, which secured reports
from 1921 mills. In Pennsylvania
1924 mills reported to the Census,
and in Virginia, LAO mills, and in
Kentucky from 1880 mills. The
number of mills reporting from Ten
nessee was only forty less than from
Kentucky. In West Virginia, Georg-
ia, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana, be
tween 1000 and LOO miles each
were engaged in cutting lumber last
year. The average output per mill
was 100000 feet in New York, and
5,260,000 feet in Louisiana, these
two states presenting nearly the ex-
tremes of production by small and
large mills.
Yellow pine. Douglas fir, white
pine, oak, hemlock, and spruce, in
the order named, were the woods
cut into lumber in the largest guam
stity. Ycllowzpine has ranked first
since It surpassed white pine in.
the latest nineties, and 1t is still far
i'm the lead. More recently, white
pine has also been superseded by
douglas fir, 80 that now It occupies
third place.
Washington has been the princi,
pal single producing state since
the use OF red cedar shingles became
general, and It supplied three-afthi
of the total output Of shingles las
IIyear. Among the other single pro
ducing states. Michigan, Louisiana
Maine. and California were the mos
important. The shingles cut an
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