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Cruisers TSfeed Recognition 



Editor's Note 



In the old days in connection witli the purchase of timliciiands, first-class timber was so abundant and com- 

 manded such a low price that a matter of a few million feet difference in the estimate of a certain stand did not 

 cut much figure. However, with the increasing cost of stumpage and the decreasing (juantity of good timber, pur- 

 chasers and bond houses financing timber deals are insisting more and more enJphatieall.v that the cruises on 

 whicn they base their estimate of value shall be absolutely reliable. This change in condition has led to a change 

 in cruising methods and to the influx of a constantly greater number of scientifically trained cruisers who rely 

 upon accurate calculations rather than mere eye work to determine tlie amount of standing timber on a given tract. 

 There is still, however, a weak point in the structure of timber cruising business and It'has to do more with the 

 recognition of cruises than with the accuracy of the cruisers themselves. That is. a timber buyer or bond house has 

 to rely upon the confidence he holds in the cruiser for the work rather than upon any association as a guarantee that 

 the work is accurate. The following article gives the ideas of one of the foremost cruisers of the country, in which 

 lie advocates the formation of some association that will absolutely guarantee the accuracy of timber' estimates. 

 The idea, while fundamental in character, is basicly excellent, and Hardwood Record shall be very glad to receive 

 the suggestions of others interested in this idea. Criticism or other comment is heartily solicited." 



Lumber inspection is recognized by all lumber associations as an 

 important branch of their activities. Their rules and regulations 

 they consider the best obtainable. Their inspectors they consider 

 the best qualified men in that line of work. By these rules and 

 with these men the inspection of lumber is conducted in a business- 

 like manner. 



The inspection of standing timber is of at least equal importance 

 with lumber inspection, yet rules or regulations governing this work 

 are lacking, and through the negligence of the various associations 

 the capable cruiser has no certain place to turn to for substantiation 

 of his work. The owners of stumpage and the investors in stumpage 

 are the most material losers, as is evinced bj' the number of lawsuits 

 now pending where the amount of standing timber on certain tracts 

 of land is the question in dispute. This state of affairs is brought 

 about by the fact that at least fifty per cent of the men engaged 

 in the business of erusing timber are not morally or mentally qualified 

 to perform the service for which they are emploj-ed. A corps of 

 competent cruisers acting for some centra! authority as a court of 

 claims would protect the investor, the stumpage owner and the 

 honest estimate, and further bring to light at once those men posing 

 as timber estimators, who liave kept this business one to be looked 

 upon with suspicion. 



The subject of timber cruising has ne\"er been properly considered 

 by the various associations because in the past through low stumpage 

 values, the subject lacked importance. At the present time the 

 importance is evident but the frequent recurrence of the subject to 

 individuals is lacking and as a result no action is taken. The 

 timber cruising proposition rarely occurs in the ordinary run of busi- 

 ness and while lumbermen generally know that to secure a re- 

 liable cruiser is difficult, they do not realize that they run a 

 risk of employing a man who's cruise will show a discrepancy from 

 the actual stand of three hundred per cent and that they are quite 

 apt to get a man who will miss it fifty or one hundred per cent. 



Why should a forest engineer engaged in the cruising of timber 

 seek to agitate a question which will reduce the total volume of 

 all timber cruising one half? Provided only one half of the present 

 amount of timber cruising is necessary, the work must as a whole 

 be better done and done in such a manner that a minimum amount 

 of checking will satisfy all concerned. It follows that if the work 

 is better done the better grade of engineers and cruisers must do 

 it, and inasmuch as capable men are scarce a big reduction in the 

 total amount of work done would not affect their business. 



One method of bringing about this happy result through the 

 various associations interested would be as follows : 



The secretaries of the various associations might form a board, 

 the chairman of which could assume control and be the leader of 

 a corps of engineers and cruisers, these men to be the best obtainable 

 and to act as a court of arbitration in the woods. The cost of 

 this department should be carried by its patrons. Further, the 

 chairman of this board should be empowered to issue licenses to all 

 engineers and cruisers desiring to practice under association rules. 

 Through the issuance of these licenses the board could control the 

 personnel of the engineers and cruisers practicing under its rules 

 and thus insure to the members of the associations competent and 

 reliable stumpage reports. License fees would care for the cost 

 of this work. A justified complaint should be followed with a 

 revoked license,. A set of rules should be formulated and published 



which would govern the grading of standing timber, limit the methods 

 of cruising to certain acknowledged standards, and designate a 

 standard rule for the computation of stand. 



This suggestion is made with a thorough understanding of the 

 forest engineers' side of the question. Conditions as they are stated 

 can not be denied in fact, and, with something done in line with 

 that which has been outlined, great good would unquestionably result. 

 That there may be faults in the proposed method of accomplishing 

 this good is quite possible, but all must stand united on the idea 

 that for the benefit of the lumberman, the investor in stumpage, 

 and the business of timber cruising, something should be done. 



Clarence W. Griffith, Forest Engineer. 



Logging Conditions Around Memphis 



The weather has been quite rainy throughout the Memphis ter- 

 ritory recently, with a consequent interruption of logging work. 

 The ground is now so thoroughly watersoaked that it will be im- 

 possible to do much in the woods for some da3's and the weather 

 is still unsettled, with prospects for further rain. Fortunately 

 lumber interests owning timberlands in this section have been 

 pushing logging operations and have been moving their timber 

 as rapidly as possible, with the result that the threatened stoppage 

 of receipts leaves them in a comfortable position with respect to 

 log supply for the immediate future. Timber receipts here for 

 some time have been quite free by both water and rail and an 

 official of a prominent concern identified with the handling of 

 timber by rail is authority for the statement that the mills are 

 in very good shape and will not suffer from the present inter- 

 ference with logging operations unless it continues for some time. 

 The Valley Log Loading Company saj's that it is operating three 

 loading machines on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley line of the 

 Illinois Central system and one on the Memphis-Marianna cut-off 

 of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern and that all of these 

 are being worked at full capacity. Coupled with this good 

 movement of logs by rail has been an increase in receipts by 

 water. The river offers a very good stage just now and this ia 

 being taken advantage of hy all whose timber is accessible for 

 water transportation. 



Conditions, from the standpoint of manufacturers, are improv- 

 ing and, with the broadening of the demand which is now indicated, 

 owners of mills will put forth every possible effort to secure a full 

 supplj' of timber. They realize that they are going to be pushed 

 to prepare a large enough supply to take care of the demand now 

 promised and they are already doing all they can toward getting 

 out logs and guarding against any shortage in that direction. This 

 attitude on their part leads to the belief that active logging opera- 

 tions will be resumed as soon as possible. An official of the Mem- 

 phis Valley Log Loading Company is authority for the statement 

 that the season promises to be exceptionally busy in log loading. 



The e^r shortage has not yet materially interfered with lumber 

 interests in any direction. There are some outside non-competing 

 points where cars are somewhat scarce, but lumbermen are able to 

 secure practically their full needs. The heavy rains have delayed 

 the movement of the cotton crop and this, coupled with the lighter 

 movement of timber, has prevented the shortage from becoming 

 at all acute. 



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