Germ.n Forests Helping Rebuild Germany---fngland Gets

Much. German Timber

American lumbermen will be much interested in German forest and lumber facts. The English lumber journal, ."Timber and Plywood," in a recent issue, devotes many .illustrated pages to the importation of German lumber bnd timber into Britain, in an article written and signed by Charles J. Venables, of the North Ge1mln .Tim,ber Control. In discussing and reporting on this subject,'the writer gives a very interesting picture of the German timber and lumber situation generally. It seems that the commercialization of her forests is playing a very great part in the huge job of restoring Germany's internal eco': nomy. The products of her forests are at present supplying the German mines rvith mine timbers, the German people with building materials for homes and other structures, a huge amount of wood for firewood, and leaves enough over to sell at export for cash, and thus bring in much-needed money to Germany.

To start with, Mr. Venables states that there was imported into Britain from Germany in L947,1,293,102 tons of logs and lumber. This is chiefly spruce and Scots pine, with some beech and a small amount of oak' Since most of this is brought in green, it probably means about 750,'000,000 board,feet. Part of this total that England gets from Germany is in the shape of round logs; part is in squared logs which they call "baulks"; part is battens, boards, and deals manufactured in German sawmills; and part is pitwood, or mine tirribers.

The round logs and squared timbers mostly come from mills operated by the ,British themselves in German forests, the North German Timber Control being a British organization created Ior the purpose of getting out German tisnber for England's home uses'

When Britain started her direct production of German timber there was a great job to be done' They had tried assisting the German timber trade to get out forest products for them, but there were too many obstacles, so Britain went at it in her own way. This article emphasizes the fact that "all timber exported from Germany is being paid for at world market prices." Britain sent innumerable small and portable sawmills, transportation vehicles of every sort to be used in logging and lumbering, and all the other materials and equipment essential to a great operation. To a large extent they had to depend for labor ' on entirely green Displaced Persons. Training these men and getting them in shape to do practical work, was a monumental job' But forests were plentiful, so the problem was solved successfully, and a great flood of much needed timber and lumber began flowing iirto England I from Germany. The Chetniks, natives of Yugoslavia, who had been held as prisoners of war in Italy, and who refused to return to their orvn homes, proved to be a great source- of 'manPow€r in -t-hesooperati'ons' They *were asked to volunteer for timber and mill work, which they did in great numbers.

(Continues Mr. Venables) "One thing is certain: the German forests which were kept intact through the war, while occupigd countries and Great Britain were compelled to cut ten, ldelve, and twenty times the annual increment, can furnish supplies for export for several years to come."

In addition to these facts concerning Britain's own production of forest products in Germany, the Germans themselves maintain a very large and interesting lumber and timber industry. Hundreds of small sawmills are to be found throughout the British and American occupied areas. They are mostly in small villages in or near the forests. Following are some very interesting facts about the German lumber industry, as stated by Mi. Venables:

German Economy

"The thrifty usages in the Gerrnan forests, and the economical conversion of logs in the sawmills are amazing to the Britisher. In the forest everything is used, from the roots which are extracted by winches from the light sandy plains and by blasting from the heavier soil, to the twigs which are cut to kindling lengths in a sort of glorified chaff-cutting machine. Every bit of sawdust as well as edgings and trimmings is used for raising power for the sawmill, or else despatched to one of the large woodalcohol plants for the manufacture of alcohol, yeast, etc. One private owner explained that the villagers paid him quite a useful sum to be allowed to fell and trim a tree (which the owner retained), in order to extract and remove the roots and to cut and remove all firewood and twigs for domestic fuel. Thus the owner, besides having felled and ;rimmed timber to offer to the merchant, had had his forest completely cleared of lof,p, tops and roots ready for replanting and had received a contribution towards the cost of replanting.

"The woodworking industries too are for the most part scattered in the villages, and draw their own supplies of round logs direct from the forest, converting them to dimension stock and seasoning themselves. Every farmer owns or has some share in some forest, and the smallest hamlet has its small sawmill laid out exclusively for sawing and manufacturing for hire the trees which the farmers cart in to them with the farm horse and cart."

. Reforestation

It is particularly noteworthy that all these German forests, whether being cut by the British direct, or by the Germans themselves, are being scientifically reforested. Concerning the replanting of cut-over areas, Mr. Venables says:

"No expendive netting is required and sowing direct in the forest in furrows made by a special type of plough is -canied* out.sxtensively .a{rd tv.itlf Ve.r.y- g:re"at .success - -s ta nd s

WHOI.ESAI.E DISTruBUTONS OF VDTDDRS and PATELS

United States Gypsum Compcrny's Insulcrtion qnd Hcrdboards

Formiccr Douglas fir Plywood

1403 Filth Street

OAKTAND 7, CALIF1cRMAGlencourr l-9688

Agoin ot this Holidoy Secrson we qre hoppy to express to our friends in the lumber trcrde the wish thct they mcry enjoy o

Lurnber 2289 N. Interstote Avenue, Portlond, Oregon of mature timber of good quality are scheduled as suitable for seed production. Cones are collected and taken to the seed extraction ovens, which in turn distribute the seed to tl-re nurseries and forests. Natural regeneration is practised successfully with hardwood stands and in specially suitable sites with Scots pine. German foresters seem papticularly conservative and very few foreign species have been introduced. The Englishman wearies of the miles and miles of pure stands of Scots pine on the northwest plain and spruce on the higher levels. The beech forests on the crests of the limestone hills are wonderfully beautiful at all seasons. Here and there one sees attempts to introduce larch, and there are a ferv instances of mixed hard and softwood forests."

Dubs, Ltd. Plcry crt Los Gctos

Art Grey won the low net prize with a score of 60'at the Dubs, Ltd. golf tournament held at the I-a Rinconada Golf & Country Club, Los Gatos, November 12. Ev Lewis won 2nd low net with 61, Norm Cords took 3rd with 65, and Jack Butler was 4th with 66. Del Travis was chairman of the day. Attendance was 32.

Dick La Franchi won the low gross with 77. Fred Ziese' was second with79, Del Travis third with 81.

The new champion high gross man was Leo Cheim, Sr. Lloyd Swiger, who put down 8 for his score on the 9th hole, received a special honesty award. Seven prizes were won by guests. Praise was heard for the course' and the good dinner'

Strable Hardwood Company Celebratet 42 Years of Service With Expansion

Strable Hardwood 'Company, 537 First Street, Oakland, recently had all of ttieir warehouses steam-cleaned and repainted in silver color. New modern signs have been painted in black and red, showing the many items carried in stock for the lumber dealers of Northern California.

A new 'ivarehouse, containing 4@0 square feet of floor space has been added. This is at the rear of the other buildings, and was formerly occupied by Monarch Lumber Company. This addition gives Strable Hardwood Company 55,250 square feet of modern warehouse space, and 70,000 square feet of open yard space.

B. E. Bryan, general manager, states that stocks of cluality hardwood lumber and affiliated items are now more plentiful. New lifts and other methods of loading and handling have, improved the service that this distributor can give to the trade.

It is interesting to note that Strable Hardwood Company is celebrating 42 years of service at the same location.

New Crosscrm Mill

A mill specializing in the manufacture of wooden crossarms has started operations at Eureka, California. It is owned and operated by the Eureka Lumber & Crossarm Company. A steel and concrete building houses the mill.