THE SPRAG INDUSTRY OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA 



145 



timber. The Department of Forestry 

 considered the operation a success in that 

 it gave a return on what would have 

 otherwise been waste material; also it 

 removed so much dead material from 

 the woods and thereby made the stand 

 of dead trees less dense, and con- 

 sequently, less of a tangle when they 

 fall, thus assuring a fall closer to the 

 ground and quicker decomposition. 



Lying adjacent to this tract is a few 

 hundred acres of oak and chestnut 

 growth killed by the same fire. The 

 sprag timber was gathered on about 

 twenty acres, but on the remaining 

 area, which is divided into a few owner- 

 ships and separate from the ownership 

 of the twenty acres which were cut 

 over, no attempt was made to utilize 

 the timber, and the result is: a mass of 

 wind blown trees covering the ground, 

 an exhibition of wasted product, which, 

 if taken in time, could have served a 

 purpose of economic good. 



During the winter of 1911-1912, there 

 was undue activity in cutting oak and 

 maple poles for sprag timber in the 

 region adjacent to the above referred 

 to areas. . Undoubtedly, almost a suffi- 



cient amount of timber could have been 

 procured on the burned area to supply 

 the sprags that otherwise were supplied 

 from this region. The dealers pre- 

 ferred green timber in preference to 

 dry timber for the reason that it worked 

 with less exertion on the part of the 

 operator. A profound regard for the 

 literal meaning of "take no thought of 

 the mo row, etc.,", reinforced by the 

 above referred to subserviency of spirit, 

 resulted in an economic loss to the 

 community of both the labor, cost, and 

 the profit of operation of the dead 

 stand as well as the loss of the growing 

 stock of a future stand. 



The sprag industry is, typically, an 

 industry which disposes of otherwise 

 waste product in the ordinary lumbering 

 operation, in that the consumption of 

 sprags is of very limited extent and can 

 be supplied by such "waste"; and be- 

 sides, the very nature and dimensions 

 of this product calls for that part of 

 the product of the ordinary limibcr- 

 ing operation — especially where mine 

 supplies are the chief product of 

 such operation — which is considered 

 "waste." 



FORESTRY COMMITTEE REPORTS 



Reports of the Forestry Committee of the National Conservation Congress 

 in pamphlet form may be secured from the American Forestry Association for 

 $1.00 a complete set or 20 cents each. 



These Reports are on : — 



Forestry Committee 

 Organization 



Forest Publicity 



Federal Forest Policy 



State Forest Policy 

 Forest Taxation 

 Forest Fires 

 Lumbering 

 Forest Planting 



Forest Utilization 

 Forest School Education 

 Forest Investigation 

 State Forest Organization 



