88 Miscellaneous Circular 39, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 
nomic necessity. Without seasoned dried lumber cost less than the older 
lumber he obtains imperfect walls and methods involved in air drying; i. e, 
cracked plaster, and his home is sub- piling and sticking. i 
jected to general shrinkage, while the (3) Transportation costs: The re- 
material located at points where the duction in actual shipping weights per 
air is excluded decays of dry rot. All thousand feet of production results in 
of these things shorten the life of lesser transportation cost. 
the home and create greater economic (4) Capital invested in stocks and 
loss to him than the cost of proper quick turnover: The ability to carry 
seasoning to the dealer or manufac- assorted stocks, enabling the manufac- 
turer. turer to ship lumber three to five days 
Third. The interest of the lumber from the saws, means a vast reduction 
dealer. To him properly seasoned in the capital invested in stocks of 
lumber means a saving, compared with lumber, with interest thereon and in- 
green lumber or lumber improperly surance on the stocks, The result of 
seasoned. When he receives lumber smaller stocks in proportion to pro- 
which has not been properly seasoned duction enables closer merchandizing 
and it is put on his yards, it is neces- and facilitates capital turnover. 
sarily degraded through season check- (5) Sales resistance: The dealers 
ing, twisting, warping, splitting, dis- naturally prefer properly dried lum- 
coloration, and dropping of knots. If ber, as against green or improperly 
the lumber has been sized at the mill dried stock, for the reasons that it as- 
when green, it suffers a shrinkage, re- sures satisfaction to their customers, 
sulting in scant sizes both as to width Jess cost in handling, and less loss by 
and thickness; and if it is piled on his reason of seasoning degrades. There- 
yards and not stripped, rot ensues. fore, the dealer is or should be willing 
Such conditions mean a severe mone- to pay a higher price to the manufac- 
tary loss to him, and actually cost turer to insure relief from the de- 
him more than the additional cost grades and other losses incident to 
of properly dried stock. Consequently, handling green or improperly dried 
from his point of view, properly sea- stock, as well as a quick capital turn- 
soned lumber is almost a necessity, as over. These factors naturally reduce 
it results in a saving in waste and the manufacturer's sales resistance, 
lesser handling costs, and insures increase his number of satisfied deal- 
satisfied customers. ers, widen his territory of distribution, 
Fourth. The interest of the manu- increase his sales realization per thou- 
facturer. The manufacturer is in- sand feet, and reduce his cost per 
terested in reducing his degrades, his thousand of: selling. 
production costs, his transportation The necessity for seasoning lumber 
costs, his capital invested in stocks, required a method of meeting it, re- 
and his sales resistance. sulting first in the development of air- 
(1) Degrades: The manufacturer drying processes. The air drying of 
demands of any artificial drying lumber was not a perfect method, for 
process, greater benefits or less de- the reason that seasonal conditions 
grades than from air drying. In the made lumber easier to dry in one 
South the question of drying lumber season and retarded its drying in 
artificially is a matter which has been others. Experience demonstrated that 
developed during the last 30 years. when we had proper humidity and 
It has proved successful, and has ma- temperature conditions, with plenty 
terially reduced seasoning degrades. of wind, we secured the best results 
In the West it is an innovation. The from air drying. In certain climates 
type of timber out there is different where the winters were long, temper- 
from that in the South. It is easier atures very low, and humidity condi- 
fo dry the western lumber, as it takes tions improper, it was impossible to 
less time to do it properly, but the de- dry lumber during such seasons. In 
grades are greater than in the South other climates, where the precipita- 
because of the character of defects in tion and fog were great during the 
the timber (i. e., black, encased, and winter months, the lumber cut in Octo- 
large knots). The commercial value ber was still green in May of the next 
of the product when properly dried is year. In some sections, chemical com- 
greater than when green, and its ship-  binations in the wood, under improper 
ping weight is less; consequently, the seasoning conditions, caused discol- 
saving is substantial and more than oration, and it became necessary to 
pays a return on the investment neces- find some method of drying lumber 
sary to provide facilities for drying. artificially in order to save the de- 
(2) Production costs: The improved grade resulting from attempted air 
methods of yarding and handling kiln- drying.