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Box, Common, and Culls, more particularly of the Common. The designations given are uniform, but as before remarked, the selection varies widely, and an A Select in one yard may be bought as a Third Clear, or A Box, or even as a B Box in another.

The various systems of Inspection, Grading and Measurement are given in the following pages in about the order of their adoption in the different localities. It is more than probable that if any one standard of yardgrading is adopted universally at wholesale centers, it will be something very similar to that in vogue in Chicago, as it is believed to come nearest to meeting the general want of any method now in use. Markets competing directly with Chicago have aimed to grade as near like it as possible, and if this little work affords any aid in this direction, it will be a source of very great satisfaction to the publishers.

ALBANY INSPECTION.

This was originally divided into five qualities, viz.: Clear. Fourths, Box or Selects, Common and Culls. Clear, or Three Uppers, was sub-divided into three grades: First, Second and Third.

First Grade.-A First Clear board shall be perfect in all respects, free from wane, knot, rot, shake or check, not less than twelve feet long and eight inches wide, (in any case) unless a very wide and thick piece, when a minimum length of ten feet may be allowed.

Second Grade.-Not less than twelve feet in length, unless very wide and thick, with not more than two defects, i. e., two sound knots which could be covered by a York shilling (dime), or sap equal to one inch on one side, or one knot and one sap; not less than ten inches wide, well manufactured, and free from rot, shake or check.

Third Grade.-Not less than twelve feet long, unless very wide and thick, and ten inches wide, free from rot, shake or check, when three defects might be allowed; either three knots which a York shilling would cover, or two saps an inch wide, with one small knot. If very wide the defects might be allowed slightly to increase, but not so as to injure the general character of the piece. These three grades are included in one and designated Clear or Good.

Fourths.-Not less than twelve feet long and twelve inches wide, with not exceeding four defects at that width, viz.: if free from sap. four sound knots on the heart side, not larger than a dime; if free from knots, two saps which must not exceed two inches on each edge, and must be

bright. At the minimum width, one face must be perfect; with increasing width latitude may be allowed to the extent of the sap.

Select Box.*-Not less than twelve feet in length and eight inches in width in any case. Must, if narrow, have one perfect face, and may have small knots, not exceeding five, in a width of fourteen inches or more. Sap may meet on one end, for not more than one-fifth the length, or two saps may be allowed on sap side, but must have at least three inches of heart wood between; sap must be bright; must be free from rot, shake and checks.

Box or Common.--All sound lumber free from knots, shaky hearts, rot, shake and worm holes which is below the grades before named, shall be classed as Box or Common.

Pickings.—A grade of common which in its general character will dress one side clear, or has no great number of small knots, but is suitable for finishing lumber. (A good fine common, but indifferent select.)

Culls.-Will not hold water, shaky, rotten, coarse knots, black and mouldy sap. If very rotten, embracing more than one-eighth of the board, it becomes a scoot, refuse or mill cull. Market culls must be good enough to make hog pens, board fences or roof boards.

Scoots, Refuse or Mill Culls.-Lumber that is not worth removing from the mill, and is fit only to be burned.

*In the early days of the trade, the grade Select was known as Box, while Sound Common was known as Merchantable.

MICHIGAN INSPECTION.

The Saginaw Valley became the most extensive producing section of the country from about the year 1850, it being in the hey-day of its prosperity from about 1860 to 1875, during which period its manufacturers approximated yearly shipments from six to eight hundred million feet, and sales were ostensibly governed by Albany Inspection. The grade was of superior quality, and the question of Inspection became an important one. In order to secure as nearly as possible a uniformity in this regard, the manufacturers in 1873 obtained the passage of an Act of the Legislature, establishing in each organized County or other sub division of territory, Inspection Districts, each having an officer known as Inspector General, with Deputies and Sub-Inspectors to be appointed by him. The details of this law, which was subsequently repealed, need not be given here, but the inspection presented by it, being somewhat, in its governing prin

ciples, in force by reason of prevailing custom, will be of interest to lumbermen everywhere.

It will be observed that in the upper grades, especially First Clear, it is more liberal than Albany, wherefore it may be argued, that inasmuch as a large proportion of the better grades from Eastern Michigan find their way to Albany, and are subject to inspection there, the present custom at Albany conforms very nearly to the rules established in Michigan. Allowance must be made for the fact that established usage in Saginaw does not fully conform to the law as written. In fact, under the operation of the law, it is presumable, upon good grounds, that it was never strictly adhered to. It is a noticeable fact in all markets, that Inspection varies largely with an advancing or declining market; it becomes more or less liberal in proportion to the demand and readiness of sale. This is one of the main difficulties in the way of prescribing Inspection rules which shall always govern in all localities. At the same time, it is manifestly unjust that a piece of lumber which will pass in a given grade under an advancing market, should rank in a lower grade in a duller market. Many Michigan Inspectors never took kindly to the law as it was written, and varied their Inspection to conform to their personal opinions and judgments, and since its repeal have continued to do so. The tendency of the law was to the side of leniency, favoring the seller rather than the buyer, and its repeal was presumably in accordance with public sentiment, as expressed by the trade at large. It is, however, the only written exposition ever given for the guidance of the trade, and as such it is appended. Synopsis of the Michigan Inspection Law of 1873.

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Sec. 3.It shall be the duty of each Inspector General, Deputy and Sub-Inspector, in determining the quality and quantity of lumber inspected by him, to place the same in that class or quality as hereinafter defined, to which it approaches the nearest in description and value, at all times using the description of qualities contained in this act as the standard of comparison.

Sec. 9.-All merchantable White Pine lumber shall be classified as follows, for purposes of Inspection: First Clear, Second Clear, Third Clear, Common and Shipping Culls; and boards six inches wide shall be known as Strips. Norway Pine shall be classified as Common and Shipping Culls, except as hereinafter provided.

Sec. 10.-First Clear lumber shall be not less than eight inches wide, twelve feet long and one inch thick, and at such width, and up to ten inches wide, shall be free from all imperfections. If the width is twelve inches, defects shall be allowed that will equal knots in the aggregate of one inch in diameter, or sap that will be equal to one and one-half inches on one surface. If the width is sixteen inches, defects shall be allowed

that will equal knots in the aggregate of two inches in diameter, or sap that will equal two inches on one surface. If the width is twenty inches, defects shall be allowed that will be equal to knots in the aggregate of two and a half inches in diameter, or sap that will be equal to three inches in width on one surface. The Inspector shall take particular notice and shall allow a due proportion of defects for all pieces of widths between or above the given standards; also shall allow additional defects as the lengths increase above twelve feet, in proportion to such increased dimensions. He shall also allow as follows in each of the three grades of clear lumber, viz: For each additional half inch in thickness, additional defects in proportion that shall equal knots in the aggregate of one-quarter inch more in diameter, or sap that will be equal to one-quarter of an inch more in width. All pieces shall be well manufactured and of full thickness (all knots to be sound), and all sap to be free from black stain that is of such character that it cannot be removed by dressing, and no piece shall be allowed with more than one straight split, and that to be not over onefifth the length of the piece, which shall be counted as one defect.

Second Clear.-Shall be not less than eight inches wide, twelve feet long and one inch thick, and at such width, and up to ten inches wide, defects shall be allowed that will be equal to knots in the aggregate, of three-quarters of an inch in diameter, or sap that will be equal to threequarters of an inch in width on one surface. If the width is twelve inches, defects shall be allowed that will be equal to knots in the aggregate of one and a half inches in diameter, or sap that will be equal to three inches in width on the edges. If the width is sixteen inches, defects shall be allowed that will equal knots in the aggregate of two and a half inches in diameter, or sap that will be equal to four inches in width on the edges. If the width is twenty inches, defects shall be allowed that will be equal to knots in the aggregate of three inches in diameter, or sap that will be equal to five inches in width on the edges. A straight split shall be allowed in this quality as before provided in boards of the width of twelve inches or over, and be counted as one defect.

Third Clear.-Shall be not less than seven inches wide, twelve feet long, and one inch thick, and at such width, and up to ten inches, defects shall be allowed that will be equal in injury to a knot one and one-half inches in diameter, or sap that will be equal to one and one-half inches in width on the best side. If the width is twelve inches, defects shall be allowed that will be equal in injury to a knot of two and one-half inches in diameter, or sap that will be equal to two and one-half inches wide on the best side. If the width is sixteen inches, defects shall be allowed that will be equal in injury to a knot of four inches, or sap that shall be equal to four inches wide on the best side. If the width is twenty inches, defects may be allowed that will be equal in injury to a knot five inches

in diameter, or sap equal to six inches on the best side, but sap in no case to exceed one-half the surface on the poorest side. In this quality shall be included pieces ten feet long and not having more than their due proportion of defects; also all pieces six inches wide and more than one inch thick, with not more than two small, sound knots, or sap not more than one inch in width on one side.

First Clear Strips.-Shall be six inches wide, one inch thick, and not less than twelve feet in length, and free from all imperfections.

Second Clear Strips.-Shall be the length, width and thickness of First Clear, and may have two small, sound knots, or if no knots then sap equal to one inch in width on one edge of one side.

Third Clear Strips.-Shall be of the width and thickness of First Clear Strips, and may have three small, sound knots, with sap one inch on one side; but if no more than three small, sound knots, then sap equal to two inches on one side may be allowed; to be free from rot, shake or split. First and Second Norway Strips of full width and thickness, and First and Second Clear White Pine Strips, ten feet in length, also First and Second Clear Strips rejected on account of thickness, and not less than five inches wide, shall be classed in this quality.

Common Lumber.-Shall include all Boards, Planks, Scantling, Strips, Joist, Timber, and lumber not otherwise defined, which is not as good as Third Clear, but is generally of a sound character, well manufactured, of full thickness, and free from large, loose knots and bad shakes, that show on both sides of the piece. Scantling, Joist and Timber must be free from imperfections which so weaken the piece that it cannot be used for substantial building purposes. Scantling, Joist and Timber made from worm eaten logs, and pieces with a small streak of rot, when not so badly damaged as to render the same unfit for ordinary uses of common lumber, shall belong to this quality. One straight split shall be allowed, provided it does not exceed one-quarter the length of the piece. Pieces that have not more than two auger holes, which are placed near the end of the piece, shall be allowed in this quality, provided they are measured in lengths of even number of feet between said auger holes, and conform in all other respects to the requirements of this quality. No lumber under ten feet in length shall be considered as merchantable.

Shipping Culls.-Shall constitute the lowest grade of merchantable lumber, and shall include all lumber not as good as common. which can be used for ordinary purposes without waste of more than one-half.

Mill Culls.-Shall include all lumber not as good as Shipping Culls. A board or plank over twelve inches in width, of which one end shall be wider than the other, shall be measured at a point one-third its length from the narrow end, to determine its width, and all such boards or plank less than twelve inches in width shall be measured at the narrow end.

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