28 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



September 25, 1919 



2^' 



FIG. 2— SHOWING LOSS IN VALUE OF FLITCH THROUGH EDGING; DOT 

 TED LINES SHOW PART THAT WOULD BE TRIMMED OFF IN EDGING 



15" flitch— 12 ft.; g — giinstock blanks; d — defects 



in the middle (Figure 3). By sawing thus with the 

 grain, that is, parallel to the growth rings, more straight- 

 grained lumber was secured without increasing the waste, 

 since the wood left in the middle would have been taken 

 off in the slab by ordinary sawing. This method also 

 tends to increase the quality of the product, since walnut, 

 unlike most other timber, is more defective toward the 

 center of the log and the wood near the outside is more 

 apt to be free from defects. This method of sawing with 

 the grain of the wood was also used with airplane spruce 

 in the Northwest. 



The quality of walnut logs secured for war purposes 

 was on the average lower than in peace times; small and 

 defective logs were taken at long distances from the rail- 

 road in small amounts that would not have been con- 

 sidered in ordinary times. This was, of course, v^far- 

 ranted by the high prices offered which served to stimu- 

 late the production of logs. The extensive publicity work 

 carried on by different governmental agencies also re- 

 sulted in much activity in getting out the timber. The 

 cost of logs at the mill amounted to from $100 to $125 

 per thousand board feet log scale, while previous to the 

 war the larger and better grade logs were bringing less 

 than half this price. 



Problems in Buying 



A number of different methods were used by the mills 

 to get the timber, the most difficult problem of all. The 

 standard method adopted by the large walnut manu- 

 facturers was to engage their own timber buyers who 

 were paid a salary or a certain amount per thousand 



board feet for the timber they bought, usually about $10 

 a thousand. The buyer estimated the timber, made a 

 contract for it between the owner and the company, and 

 scaled it after it was cut. The timber was purchased 

 either by the thousand board feet, log scale, according 

 to size of logs or for a lump sum, in which case the seller 

 generally received his money at once. The company 

 usually did its own logging if the timber was not too far 

 away or too scattered. It was found advantageous to 

 get the farmer to cut and haul his timber to the railroad 

 whenever possible. During the busy farm season, how- 

 ever, this could not be done. 



The companies' walnut timber buyers often purchased 

 timber from other independent buyers who picked up 

 walnut logs here and there, with the expectation of selling 

 for higher prices. Many walnut timber speculators, both 

 large and small, thus sprang up everywhere, and the 

 timber sometimes passed through the hands of several 

 middlemen between the original owner and the govern- 

 ment contractor. Of course each middleman had to have 

 a profit, and the farmer from whom the standing timber 

 was purchased often got very little for it. 



In order to correct this the lumber committee of the 

 War Industries Board, in co-operation with the Walnut 

 Manufacturers' Association, drew up a standard scale of 

 walnut log prices per thousand board feet, log scale, 

 graduated according to diameter of log, which was pub- 

 lished broadcast. Although this often had the effect of 

 giving the farmer an exaggerated idea of the value of his 

 timber because he did not understand it and in conse- 



FIG 3-SHOWING METHOD OF SAWING WALNUT LOGS PARALLEL TO SURFACE OF LOG 



18" log— 12 feet; w— wedge shaped piece left in middle of log; d — defects 



..i?/ 



