i82 Forestry Quarterly. 



hooked to the rear of these. The number of ties skidded in a 

 day by one man and horse varies greatly with the distance which 

 they are skidded and obstructions, such as underbrush, rocks, 

 steep slopes, and arroyos. A man and horse can skid 500 ties 

 in a ten-hour day on the mesas, which are comparatively level 

 and free from underbrush, or where the skidding distance is 

 short. In the canyons and on the brushy slopes of the Douglas 

 fir type, or where the ties must be skidded 200 yards or more or 

 where they are scattered, one man and a horse can skid but 

 from 150 to 200 ties per day. 



The ties are loaded on wagons which have been lengthened 

 enough to permit two tiers of ties to be piled end to end. An 

 average load for a team of the small native horses is about 25 

 ties. Ordinarily each man requires about one-half hour to load 

 the ties and bind them on the wagon with a chain. 



The average haul from the areas at present allotted the con- 

 tractors to the yards at the river is about two miles, all of which 

 is down grade over comparatively good roads. For this haul 

 they receive $0.09 per tie for all classes. Subcontracts are let 

 at different prices, varying according to the distance the ties 

 must be hauled and the accessibility of the areas. The haulers- 

 receive from $0.05 for the shorter hauls to $0.10 for the longer 

 and more difficult ones, with an average of about $0,065 P^^" 

 tie. The haulers are required to construct all but the main trunk 

 roads, many of which are county roads. The number of trips 

 a man and team can make in one day varies from two on the 

 longer hauls, or where skidding is difficult, to four trips on the 

 shorter hauls or where skidding is easy or unnecessary. One 

 man and team can skid and haul an average of 75 ties per day. 

 At this rate he earns about $4.86 per day actual time, but con- 

 siderble time is lost due to breakdowns and inclement weather, 

 which considerably reduces the haulers' average wage. 



About fifteen minutes are required for the hauler to unload 

 and pile his load in the yard. In piling, two ties are laid on the 

 ground about five feet apart. About eight ties are placed across 

 these forming the first tier. Other tiers are then laid upon these, 

 the ties of each tier being at right angles to those of the tier be- 

 low. The piles contain about fifty ties each and are placed about 

 two feet apart. The piles are placed as close to the edge of the 

 water as possible, and not more than five piles back from the 



