National Conference on Forest Products BY 
ards they were trained to waste it in been given to the lumber producer and 
every conceivable way. Thousands of about an equal amount of the same 
acres of what we would consider most kind of advice has been given to the 
valuable timber was cleared off to builder of homes. 
make room for crops, and, except We can not prescribe an economical 
enough logs to put up the few mneces- use of lumber in our houses without 
sary buildings, it was burned in the knowing something about timber, its 
open or used in making fills for road- quality and production, and handling 
ways. The only thought was to get methods. Every sound recommenda- 
open land for agriculture. There tion for better utilization of lumber 
was no need for timber, but there was must be economically possible either 
a need for corn, wheat, oats, cotton, in the woods or on the job, or both. 
and potatoes. And so they wasted it. What kind of timber have we in the 
Logs were used in their houses and woods? Trees are neither uniform in 
very heavy timbers in their barns. size, strength, nor quality. Waste fre- 
Only the straightest trees and clearest quently varies directly with the rough- 
stock of lumber were used. And un- ness of the country. There is not 
der similar conditions most of -us enough timber in existence, and, there 
would have done the same. But con- never will be, to provide clear, straight- 
ditions have changed; and even grained lumber for all uses. What is 
though this waste may have been con- the product of the sawmill? Some 
sidered necessary, such waste can not mills could not possibly produce 20 
be tolerated to-day. During the last per cent of clear stock. They could 
two generations we have gone a long not produce 5 per cent of timbers over 
way in the reduction of the quantity 40 feet long. Notwithstanding actual 
of lumber used in our frame buildings, conditions, there are some who seem 
and in the ever-increasing use of lower to feel that the lumberman need only 
grade lumber. employ a Burbank to produce a knot- 
Practically everybody in the United less pine. 
States is in favor of the conservation With the increases in the cost of 
of our natural resources, provided we lumber there is a tendency to use it 
allow each to formulate his own defini- more economically on the job, but cus- 
tion. There have been many different tom has to a degree a strangling hold 
groups of “blocs” among conserva- on those responsible for buildings. 
tionists, including, among others, those 1. There was a time when the yard- 
who would rather see a tree die on the wide carpet exercised considerable 
stump than to have it cut into lum- control over the size of rooms; 9, 12, 
ber, and those who would conserve 15, and 18 feet were common dimen- 
timber until the market for their com- sions. In order that the carpet should 
peting material had become well completely cover the floor, we wasted 
established. the ends of practically every stand- 
The city man goes into the woods ard length floor joist. To-day there 
and comes back bewailing the waste are hundreds of house designs in 
of timber. But he does not know which the architect deliberately plans 
what it costs to take what he calls for the use of 12, 14, 16, and 18 foot 
waste out of the woods, and I regret floor joists so that, they can be used 
to say that some mill men do not without waste. While this may be a 
know what it would cost. The lumber move in the right direction, it is also 
manufacturer goes to the city and quite probable that odd lengths could 
sees the waste on the construction job. be used to great advantage. 
He sees long boards cut into short 2. Examine the floors of many of 
and odd lengths and the indiserimi- our old buildings and you will find 
hate use of high-grade lumber. He wide boards. There was considerable 
immediately wants to sell odd and objection not many years ago to the 
short lengths. Often he does not know use of narrow widths or strips in 
how much more it will cost at his floors, but this has largely passed. 
mill and on the yard to handle mis- The use of millions of feet of lumber 
cellaneous short lengths. Again, he for high-grade use has been made pos- 
hag few records, or no records, show- sible through the acceptance by the 
ing the costs of using short and odd public of the narrow and short-length 
lengths on the construction job as flooring, and there is still room for 
compared with the cost of using the much improvement. 
Standard even lengths of 12, 14, and 3. Many men here can remember the 
16 feet. Tt is also true that few day when much lumber was sawn So 
builders have such records. As a that it would dress a full inch, In the 
result of this dearth of information, cruder mills this meant a cut of from 
much free and worthless advice has 13% to 114 inches in thickness. Scant