COST OF LOGGING LARGE AND SMALL TIMBER 



By W. W. Ashe^ 



It is well known that it costs more to operate small than large 

 trees, since in converting the small trees it is necessary to handle 

 more logs representing an absolutely larger cubic volume and there 

 are more pieces of lumber per thousand board feet. The following 

 data seek to show for several of the different steps of a sawmill 

 operation what is the comparative cost of handling trees and logs 

 of different sizes, and to call attention to the field of utility of the 

 results: (1) as a factor to be considered in determining the cost of 

 producing lumber; and (2) as a potent argimient in certain cases 

 in favor of leaving the small trees to grow to larger size for future 

 cutting. The results which are submitted can however be regarded 

 only as an apergu, preliminary to intensive studies of different 

 types of operations and the costs of production at individual 

 operations, together with their bearings upon the introduction of 

 conservative methods of cutting and forestry practice. 



Notwithstanding its evident importance, from the point of view 

 of production costs particularly in the operation of stands in which 

 the trees have a wide range of diameters, the subject apparently 

 has never been thoroughly investigated. Each operator has fixed 

 his cutting diameter according to his best judgment, but seldom 

 with the basal data which would permit him to arrive at positive 

 conclusions. If he was conservative in not cutting small trees, 

 being apprehensive that to do so might cause a reduction in profits 

 or even a loss, his precautions might result in leaving timber which 

 could have been removed advantageously ; and this is particularly 

 the case when logging is done by contract and it would be to the 

 interest of the contractor to leave the small trees. On the other 

 hand, when the stimipage is purchased by the acre there is an 

 incentive on the part of the owner to clean-cut in order to reduce 

 the cost of the stumpage per M, and in many cases this results in 

 the cutting of timber of such small size as to be improfitable. 



The resiilts are intended to show comparative cost for different 

 diameters; but not absolute cost as applicable to any particular 

 operation or class of operations. However, they do show that the 



'Forest Inspector, U. S. Forest Service. 



441 



