23 
EVIDENCES OF UNNECESSARY CUTTING OF LIVING TIMBER. 
One of the special objects of the investigation was to determine 
whether or not unnecessary cutting of living timber had been done by 
certain contractors who had purchased, at a reduced price, the speci- 
fied ‘*bug-infested” and ** bug-killed” timber. Therefore, upon the 
request of Mr. Pinchot, the writer made a careful study of the con- 
ditions found in an extensive cutting in a ‘‘draw” east of Dead Ox 
Canyon of Big Spearfish Creek. 
Much conclusive evidence was found that a large per cent of the trees 
cut here and worked into railroad ties had been living and uninjured 
by insects when felled. The evidence may be briefly stated as follows: 
All trees that are attacked and injured by the pine-destroying beetle, 
whether in small or large numbers, plainly show the characteristic work 
of the beetles in the bark and on the surface of the wood, as previously 
described (p. 17) and illustrated (Pl. II], fig. 2; Pls. IV, VII). The 
character of the work will also indicate whether or not a given tree 
was living, dying, or dead when felled and the bark removed. The 
operation of scoring, hewing, and barking the ties in this particular 
cutting had evidently followed closely the felling of the trees. There- 
fore the inner portion of the bark and outer or adjoining portion of 
the wood of the scoring chips and the barked surface of the ties from 
‘**bug-infested” and ** bug-killed” trees bore abundant evidence of the 
work of the insect and the condition of the tree when felled, while 
those from healthy living trees, not injured or infested by bark-boring 
insects, showed no traces whatever of the work of the beetle or of any 
other *‘ bug” or insect. 
The records of ties, counted as observed in the woods and examined 
for the work of insects, show that out of 207 ties only 55 bore evidence 
of having been cut from ‘*bug-infested” and ‘* bug-killed” trees, 
while the other 152 bore no evidence of insect work on the barked 
surface, but showed from the condition of this surface that they had 
been cut from healthy, living trees; also that some of the trees had been 
cut in the winter when the sap was down and that others had been cut 
in the spring when the sap was up and the bark would peel. There- 
fore it would appear that a large amount of living timber had been 
cut which it was plainly evident the Government desired should remain 
standing. 
SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING TIMBER-CUTTING CONTRACTS. 
In order to provide or guard against the cutting of living, uninfested 
trees, along with the seriously injured and dying ones, it might be 
suggested that it be plainly stated in contracts and instructions that no 
living tree shall be cut which does not show, in the inner bark next to 
the wood, the presence of large numbers of living insects, of the species 
known as the pine-destroying beetle, or any other insect or insects 
which may hereafter be designated as destructive enemies of the trees. 
