1536 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 





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THE CUT-OVER AREA AFTER THE A.MKRICAX OPERATIONS 

 WERE FINISHED. NOTE THAT YOUNG GROWTH REMAINS, 

 AND A NEW STAND IS ASSURED 



tree thus limbed has the appearance of a slender 

 palm. A large number of trees may be thus 

 limbed before felling begins. Then follow the 

 wood cutters, who cut up the fallen branches at the 

 base of the tree into meter lengths and stack them into 

 "steres." The small twigs are sometimes Inirned, or 

 sometimes bundled for sale. After this operation the 

 fallers fell the tree, exercising care to throw it so as to 

 avoid bringing down any young growth. They are ef¥i- 

 cient at this operation. When the stem has fallen it is 

 barked — being turned by means of a powerfvil jack, 

 which is the "bucherons" constant companion. The tree 

 bole is left in the woods to dry. 



The aerial limbing is a dangerous occupation. It is 

 said that a limber rarely dies a natural death. This 

 style of limbing cost, before the war, 3 francs, and during 

 the war, 5 francs per tree. It is a question as to whether 

 this operation ])ays in the actual amount of young growth 

 saved. The .\mcrican oj)erations demonstrated that trees 

 with ])ranches may be felled so as to do no great amount 

 of damage to young growth, as shown by the accom- 

 panying photographs. And it appears from the general 

 opinion among French foresters, with wlmni the writer 

 came in contact, that this ])ractice of aerial limbing will 

 be discontinued in France. 



After six months or so the I'rcnch "voituriers" 

 (wagoners) came into the woods equipped with wagons, 

 drawn by oxen, jacks, poles, blocks and chains. \\'hcn- 

 ever possible the entire tree stem is skidded to the sur- 

 faced forest roads. Skidding is done by oxen, and as 



ni;my as nine yoke may be hitched to one bole. It aj)- 

 pears that a necessary part of the "voiturier's" equipment 

 is a vociferous voice, which echos and re-echos through 

 the forest as he belabors the slow-moving oxen. 



The method of loading the stick when it has been 

 skidded out to the forest road is unique. One man alone 

 can load an entire tree. The accompanying photograph 

 indicates how it is done. After the stick is jacked up by 

 means of the pole and chains, the wagon gear is backed 

 under and the stick is eased down upon it. The tree 

 stems are hauled then to the railway station or to a 

 neighboring sawmill. .\t the railroad a big overhead 

 crane, running on a track, is used to load the entire tree 

 lengths on cars. The tree stems are cut into lengths at 

 the sawmills. The logs are run through jig saws, which 

 produce good lumber, but very slowly. The mill outputs 

 vary from 2 to 10 thousand board feet per lo-hour day. 

 W'aterpower and electric power are used most generally. 

 In the valley about Morteau (Doubs) twenty-one such 

 mills are in continuous operation. 



1^'rench logging costs for this region before the war 

 were as follows: For limbing and felling, 1.80 to 3.0 

 francs per cubic meter, varying according to the difficul- 

 ties of the location. Converted into .\merican units, this 

 gives $1.60 to $2.75 per thousand, log scale. In all 

 these costs comparisons money is figured at the normal 

 rate of exchange — 5.20. Cutting and stacking branch 

 wood cost 1.25 to 1.50 francs per stere. The hauling 

 cost varies between 6.70 and 7.20 francs for a haul of 

 13 kilometers. Converted into .\nierican units it equals 



NOTE THE GROUP OF REGENERATION. A PERIOD OF 

 NEARLY THIRTY YEARS HAS ELAPSED SINCE LAST CUT- 

 TING. THE BIG TREES ARE READY FOR THE FIN.\L CUTTING 



