24 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



October 25. 1920 



Enthusiasm Marks Logging Meeting 



(Cotitliiurd from page 22) 



characteristics, along with its peculiar defects causing the waste, and the 

 waste itself. 



The variety of reasons for the difference in growth found in trees need 

 not be discussed here ; merely that they exist is sufficient ground tor this 

 article, and we will therefore confine ourselves to their existence, and how 

 best to cut for hest results to their owner, which I take tor granted is your 

 chief desire. 



Four Defects in Trees 



The defects in trees are so numerous ami of such wide range of value 

 depreciation that it will be impossible to take up any of them in extensive 

 detail ; but I will merely mention some of the most serious, and treat them 

 in the order named sufficiently to clarify, or rather amplify, what seems 

 to be very little understood. But as a matter of fact the whole list is so 

 very simple that most stupid "flatheads" should readily see the point when 

 properly put, and not in very large doses at a time. I will treat them as 

 follows : 



1. Crooked trees. 4. Knots of various sizes. 



2. Punk or rot in trees. 5. Grades of logs. 



3. Taper or scrubby trees. 



Crooked trees are unquestionably the most serious detect, and are the 

 more serious in loblolly, and the least understood of all the defects, because 

 they do not show it, only to the expert, and are not considered as near so 

 serious as rot ; but this is a very grave mistake, since there are several 

 times more crooked trees than there are rotten ones. A crooked tree may 

 appear sound, but as millmen all know, the shorter the log, and the larger 

 it happens to be with the crook most prominent, and the nearer the center 

 of the log it happen.s in its most acute angle, the greater the loss will be. 



I have taken the overrun of a mill before the cutting of logs was taken 

 hold of and ascertained the gain, and in doing so have noticed the excess of 

 crooked logs ; and when the matter was called to the attention of the 

 superintendent authority was given me to take on the care of the cutting 

 and I have never failed to get results of from 20. and in one instance nearly 

 40 per cent of a gain over the usual methods. This is remarkable, but it 

 is absolutely true. All short "clips" were measured, so that all the lumber 

 from tour feet up was included. 



Whatever the deflection of the crook from a straight line or both ends is 

 virtually a decrease of the diameter of the circle on the side of the crook, 

 but if there be a rever.se, or a crook at right angles to each other, then the 

 whole circle's diameter is decreased to the extent of both crooks. If clips 

 are taken and utilized, which is a very rare occurrence, there is a saving ; 

 but the edging and trimming waste at least 50 per cent of what is saved in 

 clips, besides the loss in grade and price of the short material. The larger 

 the circle the greater is the volume of loss, but the greatest percentage of 

 loss is in the smaller logs, because they are more readily cut in two on the 

 carriage. 



Now, it happens that the milLs' order books show the greatest demand 

 for 16-toot logs, as a rule nearly two-thirds of the entire cut being tor 

 lumber of that length, so that it should be the ruling length, to cut every 

 one possible. The other lengths will be fully supplied in cutting for both 

 "grade" and in reducing the crooks. 



It will be impossible to lay down rules to fit each of your particular 

 needs and the conditions under which you work, and some operate with 

 'oug cars and a few with short cars ; but two log' lengths may he left 

 togetner to be cut again at the mill at the "jack ladder," and in cutting for 

 grade the same thing can be done. 



To reduce the loss in crooks to a minimum, the cuts should be in tho 

 acute angle of the crook, and in very crooked trees short logs should be the 

 rule, remembering that 12-foot logs are twice as much in demand as are 

 14's, and 10-footers are at par with 14's. but are hard to handle as a rule. 

 All short logs cost more to handle, but logs cut for a 40-foot ear cost ten 

 times the difference in loss, or waste rather, over the difference of loss in 

 handling short logs. There are other copsiderations in cutting to reduce 

 waste in volume, as cutting for grade, and cutting for prevention of waste 

 and saving grade In rotten trees ; but cutting in the crook invariably 

 should he the rule, as we shall see later on. 



Rotten Timber 



Punks and stump rots, from whatever cause, along with rotten or hollow 

 hearts, are probably the next greatest waste, aside from wind storms, 

 which will be noted. 



Punks vary in character owing to variety of species and character of soil 

 on which the trees grow. Longleaf pine has always a very heavy tap root, 

 and sets itself very firmly in both stiff clay and pebbly or rocky soil : there- 

 fore, with Its long, smooth bole and large top allows the wind to twist and 

 bend the bole to that extent that it creates shakes by separating the white 

 from the dark wood, which allows the rain water to soak In through rotten 

 knots, and in a summer ferment with sap and pitch, and thus decay and 

 often rot long distances below and some little distance above the starting 

 point. Hence It often occurs that very little can be done to any advantage, 

 but where the punks or stump rote do not extend very far, as in most short- 

 leafs and loblollies, then the cut should be made In the punk. Influenced, of 

 course, by the length of the rot, which can be located to the very fraction 

 of a foot where It begins, and also to the grade and crook it there be any, 



the object being to get the rot where it will trim off in both logs ; but if 

 too long to trim off in one, and make a short log all rot in the other, and 

 allow it to be trimmed off the end of the third log. The value of the sound 

 clear stuff is such that It will stand considerable trimming, and trimming 

 should cover most of the actual waste. In No. 1 common considerable red 

 heart, and even red sound rot or thin streaks of ring rot may be allowed. 

 The idea that 1 wish to convey most of all is to get in clear stuff affected 

 by rots short enough to be trimmed off. to place it in the log most advan- 

 tageous for that purpose, and carry the whole to the mill and do It there, 

 and thus save as much of the tree as is possible, and not leave the waste 

 in chunks in the woods. For while the operation is going on it costs no 

 more, in fact costs less, to include it in log ; and invariably, at present or 

 prospective prices, the very lowest grade will pay for itself logged with 

 other grades, and much of this chunk usually left in the woods may include 

 as high as No. 2 common. 



Tapering or scrubby timber as a rule does not carry much B & B stock 

 in it. but should be treated as all other classes should in reference to crooks 

 and grades. As a rule, it makes excellent tie timber for creosote works 

 when at all rough, and should be cut as much as possible into 16-foot logs. 

 This division is Intended more for what is known as old field pine and at 

 the edge of timber belts, as the edge of prairies, etc. 



Knots should be classified into two grades, small sound into No. 1 com- 

 mon, and into No. 2 common of the larger and more unsound character. 

 Trees commence their growth from the ground, and the growth extends 

 through the bud upward and outwardly in their annular rings, and do 

 not carry the limbs or knots upward; hence the larger knots in pine are 

 invariably at the top, thus by nature allowing the opportunity of separat- 

 ing the knots into logs of different grades, i. e.. No. 1 and No. 2 common. 



Logs of the No. 1 common take a wider range of length than most all 

 other grades, but the No. 2's should invariably be 16 feet long. This is 

 the length when the knots are sound, and where ties should be taken. 

 Two log lengths In these grades can be left together to better advantage 

 and at less danger of harm than at any other condition, for the separation 

 of the grades can be overlooked in straight logs and dimension stock util- 

 ized as the requirements of the bill board may show ; the No. 2 in sound 

 knots always permissible in bill stuff where it does not weaken the stick or 

 otherwise particularly excluded. 



Grades of Logs 



Grades of logs in trees usually need not exceed three in number, but 

 where much rift flooring four grades ought to be made, and be classified 

 into No. 1 as clear except for a knot close to end and of large size i the 

 log is meant). No. 2, where knots are divided in such a manner that at 

 least two-thirds of the face of the log full length will be clear stuff : or 

 No. 1 and No. 2 can be put in one grade and making the division between 

 No. 1 common and the export grades of primes, allowing the log to be 

 manipulated on the carriage for best results. No. 3 should be No. 1 com- 

 mon, and No. 4 should be No. 2 common, rotten logs going into No. 3 or 

 No. 4, owing to their smoothness and character. 



It very seldom occurs that it is found necessary to leave a clear B & B 

 short piece on an inferior grade, and should not be allowed, since its per- 

 mission would license carelessness. 



Two or even three log lengths may be lelt together, or better yet, skill 

 the whole tree and load on cars designed tor long lengths or otherwise 

 arranged for with dutchmen or long reaches in between : but as this has 

 long been a controversial point, whole length tree loading. I would sug- 

 gest a double bunk at each end of each truck, and cutting the tree into two 

 logs and keeping up the grade divisions the same, but with the cars long 

 enough to load a 40 or 50-toot log without extra reaches, the idea being 

 to save ootn volume and grade at the same time, tor not only is the waste 

 enormously large in volume, but even greater in the matter of loss in 

 grade. In other words, if the woods does not provide such a foundation 

 as is found in the tree itself tor the mill, how is the mill to get grade out 

 of logs cut up into cliunks, where grade was not considered ? 



Close Forest Utilization 



A gross return of approximately $.50 per acre of forest land, 

 compared with a return of less than $300 an acre, had the timber 

 thereon been cut for lumber alone, is given as an illustration of the 

 results of close forest utilization by Howard F. Weiss of the C. F. 

 Burgess Laboratories, Madison^ in the last Journal of Forestry. 

 Mr. Weiss bases his figures upon a survey made several years ago 

 in the Pennsylvania forests. He says that the return to the lum- 

 ber company cutting hemlock logs was $288 per acre; $45 per acre 

 from gathering 41/2 eords of hemlock bark; $20 per acre or .$4 per 

 cord was the return from using hemlock tops and culls for pulp: the 

 mill waste was sold for both kindling and pulp with a return of $2.i 

 per acre; the hardwoods on the tract were manufactured into staves 

 at $6 a thousand for the 13,000 per acre obtained, or $78; and about 

 $48 per acre came from cutting the small and defective hardwood 

 waste into "chemical wood" at a return of $4 per cord. 



