Lumber Production in the United States

Nearly a trillion (1000 billion) board feet of lumber have been cut from timber taken off American forest lands sincd 1909, according to a summation of reports of the U. S. lumber indstry to ihe Bureau of the Census and the U. S. Fotest Service.

Of this aggregate, the timber stands in the eleven Southern states-Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia-yielded the greatest share, approximately 43 per cent, or more than 43O billion board feet of lumber.

The forest of the eleven Western states-Arizona, California. Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming-contributed the next largest lumber cut for any U. S. area with approximately 37 per cent, or 370 billion board feet-

Between them, the South and the West have in the last generation furnished 79 per cent of the Nation's entire lumber cut. From 1909 through 1925, the South held undisputed leadership with an average annual share of 46 per cent in the Nation's total cut, ranging from 43.1 per cent in 1911 to a high of.50.2 per cent 1n 1921. In 1926, the West took the lead with 42.9 per cent of that year's lumber for the Nation, but the South was right behind with a 42.2 per cent mark. From that year onward, however, the West has retained the lead, contributing 46 pet cent of the total cut through 1939, the last year for which complete totals are available.

In 179 {., when this Nation 'ivas still young' the annual lumber cut was 300 million board feet. By 1839, this had risen to a billion and a half feet. Ten years later, in 1849, the total was over five billion feet; in another decade it had passed the eight billion mark, and in 1859 the Nation's total lumber cut was over lZ/a billion feet. Through all the iears follorving, for which' data are available, the annual iumber cut exceeded the 1869 total until 1932 when it fell off to a little over ten billion feet. The biggest year was 1909 when the lumber cut equalled 441 billion board feet' Lumber census figures tell a revealing story of the migration of this industry from the Northeast-New England and the North Atlantic states-to the Great Lakes and Central states, thence to the Southern states and finally to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast.

Up to 1869, the Northeast produced most of the'lumber cut in the U. S. In 1869,36 per cent of the total U. S. lumber cut was reported by mills in the Northeast. Ten years later, however, the Great Lakes area took the lead with 35 per cent of the Nation's total, only to yield to the South in 1899, after maintaining leadership for two decades' By that time, the Northeast had fallen back in the race with only 16 per cent of the annual lumber cut to its credit, while the South had risen to top rank with a ratio of 32 per cent, the Great Lakes area being second with 25 per cent.

For the next 27 years, the South held the lead, only to yield, in turn, to the West in 19'26, since which time the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain areas' together, have retained top position. Meanwhile, the Northeast and Great Lakes areas, once the leaders, had by 1939 declined to a ratio of 3.9 and 3.1 per cent respectively of the Nation's total annual lumber production.

At the Censuses of 1859, 1879 and 1889, Michigan was the leading lumber producing state. In 1899, 'Wisconsin assumed lthe lead and retained it until 1905 when Washington moved; to the front. Washington held the top position among lumber producing states until 1914 when Louisiana forged ahead for one year but in 1915 Washington again took the lead yielding to Oregon in 1938 and since.

In order of rank, as shown at lGyear intervals since 1869, the five leading lumber producing states have been: l879-Michigan, Pennsylvania, \Misconsin, Nerv York, and Indiana. l9O9-Washington, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Arkansas. l929-Washington, Oregon, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, although 'the lumber production of the California-Nevada area, reported together, was slightly larger than the Alabama total.

1869-Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin and Indiana.

1889-Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Washington.

1899-Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas.

1919-Washington, Louisiana, Oregon, Mississippi, and Alabama.

1939-0regon, Washington, California-Nevada, Alabama and Mississippi.

Statistics on total U. S. lumber production, by years, with percentages of the cut in the South, West, and for all other states combined, since 1909, are given below:

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Fritz Hawn Goes To Texas

Fritz Hawn has resigned his position as salesman with the Hammond Redwood Co., Los Angeles, and will be associated with his father who operates two mills in East Texas, assisting him in the lumber sales of the mills. He also plans on going into the wholesale lumber busi'ness with offices in Dallas or Houston, selling West Coast lumber products.

Appointed Yard Manager

C. E. Burnell, who has been assisting M. P. Hale at the Sterling Lumber Company's yard at Morgan lfill, has been appointed manager of the company's yard at San Martin, succeeding Victor DeVore, who has been called into the U. S. army. Mt. Burnell has had many years experience in the lumber business, most of which was in Bellingham, Wash.