38 SEVENTEENTH Report STATE ENTOMOLOGIST OF MINNESOTA—1918 
the heart rot would make it easier for the ants to gain entrance into 
the trees. The difference in texture of the wood in swamp and high- 
land cedar also may have its influence, since the wood of the swamp 
cedars is much heavier and closer grained than that grown on the 
higher land. All these factors probably have their influence in limit- 
ing the extent of infestation in the swamps. 
Since such a large proportion of ant infested cedar trees are also 
hollowed more or less by heart rot, many poles which must be trimmed 
for ant injury would necessarily have to be trimmed for rot even 
though no ants were present. When it is remembered, however, that 
the ants as a rule work above the rot into the solid wood, it is evident 
that they increase considerably the length which must be cut from the 
butt. From measurements made in the woods, it is estimated that in 
the swamps there is an unavoidable loss of about three feet from the 
butt of every ant infested cedar, and on the higher ground, where the 
heart rot runs higher, the average loss runs nearly six feet. In either 
case, allowing for heart rot it is safe to say that ants were responsible 
for an average loss of at least two feet for each infested tree. 
While there is an immense amount of unavoidable loss due to ant 
injury, the loss occasioned by careless butting is still greater. This 
is often due to the fact that many of the cedar makers do not know 
how to locate accurately the ant nest, so as to insure cutting just above 
it. Frequently a man will get only a 20-foot pole out of a tree which 
should have made a 25- or 30-foot pole if properly cut. Sometimes a 
man will hack into a pole every two feet until he finds it sound, thus 
destroying any value which the butt may have had. It may occa- 
sionally be necessary to follow up rot in this way, but where ants 
are in a stick their nest is practically always above the rot and it is 
only necessary to look for the topmost window to tell where to make 
the cut with the least amount of loss. Therefore the first thing to do 
in making a pole from an ant infested tree, is to look for the win- 
dows and then measure up the pole and cut to the best advantage. 
The usual method seems to be to make the pole and then begin butt- 
ing off. There is also a great deal of good material in the butts which 
could be used for posts, slats or other purposes where they can be 
handled to advantage. Butting off the poles in the yard might help 
save this loss in many cases. 
It is the custom of most of the cedar men to cull very heavily for 
ant injury. This custom has brought about a condition which results 
in the absolute loss of large quantities of merchantable material as the 
cedar makers will not spend their time on pieces which they think may 
