G76 JOURNAL OI^ 1*<)R|;STRV 



stumpage. If stumpage values are low the mills prefer to contract for 

 timber in other forests and save their own holding. • 



Trees selected for cutting are carefully marked in advance of each 

 logging season. The felling of the trees starts as soon as the first snow 

 has fallen and the ground is frozen. Sawlogs are never cut during 

 the spring, summer, or autumn on account of the danger of having 

 the logs discolor. Climatic conditions vary a great deal in ditTerent 

 parts of the country, and therefore the duration of the logging opera- 

 tions ranges from three to five months. As a general rule, it may be 

 said that the logging operations start in November or December and 

 end in March or April. In the northern sections of the country log- 

 ging may begin in October. During extreme cold weather the felling 

 of trees is suspended, because the wood becomes brittle and there is 

 danger of its breaking. 



The logging operations in Finland are carried on in about the same 

 way as in Scandinavia, although the type of equipment may vary 

 slightly on account of the difference in topographical conditions of 

 these countries. Except in one case in northern Finland, where 

 American tractors of the caterpillar type are used for hauling logs, 

 no machinery of any kind is used in the logging operations in Finland. 



Saws are generally used in felling trees. The stumps are cut very 

 low on Government timberland and in the better-managed privately 

 owned forests. The stumps in such forest are seldom higher than 3 

 or 4 inches above the ground. In other cases stumps may be left as 

 high as 10 or 15 inches. 



In the State forests the trees are at times limbed before they are 

 felled in order to prevent damage to the surrounding young growth. 



As a rule, the average length of logs in Finland is about 19 feet and 

 the average top diameter from 7 to IjA inches. The length of the 

 logs in each district is dependent u]:)on the conditions of floating, be- 

 cause long logs arc easily broken and the cost of floating such logs 

 is usually disproportionally higher than that for standard logs. The 

 minimum top diameter of sawlogs may be said to be 5 inches in regions 

 close to the mills where the cost of transportation is reasonable. It is 

 evident, however, that in districts located at a great distance from the 

 mill the minimum log diameter must be larger on account of higher 

 cost of transportation. Logs longer than 35 feet can not be practically 

 floated in Finland, and the tendency is to cut shorter lengths than has 

 been done heretofore in order to save waste in the mills on account of 

 the taper being smaller. The favored top dimensions are 9^, 10, 11, 



