Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-06-23
LUMBER GUT OF THE
UNITED STATES
FOR 1908
OVER THlRTY-TW0 BILLION
FEET IN YEARS PRODUCT
Saw Mills Like All Other Indus
tries Show Effects of Bust
ness Depression of Past
Twelve Months.
Morning Journal Bureau,
613 Munsey Building,


DuTlHS tnt year iJUo, ol,-oI saw
mills in the United states manufac-
tured 33,2S9. S69, 900 feet of lumber.
according to a preliminary report just
issued by the Bureau Of the Census.
These mills also cut y, 106, 4S3 900
shingles and 2.9S6, $4,000 lath. Lum-
Der manufacturing, like every other
industry, felt the effects of the bust.
ness depression which began in Octo-
her, 1907. Consequently the produce
ton in 1908 was below that for the
previous year, In 1907 the cut of
2S.250 sawmills was 40,256,154.000
feet, the highest production ever re-
corded Notwithstanding, therefore,
that in 1908 reports were received
from eight per cent more mills than
in 1907, the decrease in lumber Gu.
reported by them was slightly over
seventeen per cent.
Washington, as for several years
past, still ranks first among the
states in lumber production, its cut
in 1908 being 2.9t5,92S 900 feet-l
decrease of 22.S per cent over the c1t
in 1907. Nearly all the lumber manu-
featured in Washington is Douglas
fir. the market for which was seri-
ously affected by the panic. Louis
lana ranks second, with 2,722.421, 900
feet, a decrease Of $50, 600, 900 feet
or 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 apparently. the
manufacturers of it did not suffer as
severely from dun times as did the
manufacturers of yellow pine and
Douglas fir. Mississippi was the
third state in lumber production in
1908, with a total of 1,S61,016,OO
feet-a decrease of eleven per cent
from the cut in 1907. Arkansas
ranked fourth, with 1856. 991. 000
feet-a decrease of nearly seventeen
per cent over the previous years out
put. and Wisconsin fifth. with 1919
3l5,D00 feet against 1908, 279, 900
feet in 1907. In Texas. where the
lumber industry Is confined almost
exclusively to yellow pine, the falling
off was very hevay. The total cut
of the state in 1908 was I.524,00 900
feet-a decrease Of 31.6 per cent over
the cut in 1907. Eight other states
manufactured more than one billion
feet each Of lumber last year. In
the order of impor,a1ee they were:
Michigan, Oregon, Minnesota. Penn
%sylvania, virginia Alabama, North
Carolina and West Virginia. Califor-
mia and Maine. other states which re- |
ported more than one billion feet
each in 1907, went just below tina
figure in 1908. The totals for a few
states were greater in 1908 thar in
1907, but this was chiefly due to the
larger number of reports secured in
those states in 1908. In Georgia. for
Instance, a particularly close canvass
increased the number OF mills report
ing nearly one-third. while the result
ing Increase in reports Of total pro-
duction was only six per cent. In
Massachusetts, $40 mills reported a
cut of SS4.526, 900 feet in 1903 as
compared with a cut of 1854, 231,000
feet by SIS mills in 1907. In Colo
RADIO. 254 mills cut 1872, O36, 900 feet
in zoos, while in 1907. 2S0 mills GU.
1874 ,239,00 feet. A particularly
large gain in mills reporting was
mad in oklahoma. In 1907. 12)
mills in that state cut 140.Ol5,000
feet. lille in 1908. 214 mills cut
1873. 1856, 900 feet.
While there are many very large
sawmills in the United States, the
small mills far outnumber the large
ones. and it is particularly interest
ing to note how many of these small
mills there are In the states which
are not now of first rank In lumber
production. The statistics for New
York were collected by the Forest,
Fish and Game Commission Of that
state. which secured reports from D.
29l mills. In Pennsylvania 2,224
mills reported to the census, and in
virginia, 1897 mills. In North Caro-
lima reports came from lao mills.
and in Kentucky from 1880 mills.
The number OF mills reporting from
Tennessee was only forty less than !
from Kentucky. In West Virginia.
Georgia, Missouri. Ohio, and Indiana
between 1000 me LOO mills each l
were engaged in cutting lumber last .
year. The average output per mill
was $4,000 feet in New York, and s. !
100000 feet In Louisiana, these two
states presenting nearly the extremes :
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 i'm the largest quantity.
Yellow pine has ranked first since it !
surpassed white pine In the later I
nineties. and il is stilI far In the lead =
More recently, white pine has also =,
been superseded by Douglas fir, so :
that nov II occupies third place. =.
Washington has heen the principal -
single producing state since the use
Of red cedar shingles became genera
and it supplied three-fifths OF the
total output of shingles last yeaT
Among the other shingle producing
states. Michigan. louisiana. Maine
and California we're the most import
ant. The shingles cut in Michigan
and Maine are chiefly of white cedar.
those in I-eueFipa % cypress. and F
those in California, of redwood. f.ath
rrs generally a by-proiuct Of lumber 5,
mannlacture. and are made TO some
eStenf nom almost cyery wood that