154 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A telephone line is usually carried along the flume, or it may 

 be strung on poles. When a jam occurs word can be speedily 

 sent to the skidding crews — loading is then stopped and the 

 water turned off until the flume is clear and ready for business 

 again. 



In the early years of the lumber industry on the Pacific 

 Coast region oxen and, later, horses were largely used for 

 skidding purposes, owing to the fact that the timber was in 

 close proximity to tidal water. However, owing to the size of 

 the timber, the topography, and the increasing distances from 

 the seaboard, other means of transportation were found to be 

 necessary. 



Near the coast logging railroads are now a feature of logging 

 operations (Plate VIII.). The locomotives used for transporting 

 the logs from the bush to tidal water are for the most part of the 

 geared type, and this enables them to climb heavy grades often 

 ^'^P to 7 % or more. The Shay, Climax, and Heisler, of varying 

 sizes and power, are the usual types of geared locomotive 

 employed. The fuel used may be oil, coal or wood, this 

 depending on circumstances. Spark arresters are a feature of 

 the coal and wood burners. The wood cars are very strongly 

 built and are supplied with automatic couplings, air, and hand- 

 brakes. 



The wood operations, especially felling and bucking (or cross- 

 cutting), are still done by axe and saw, but the huge old trees 

 are often swell-butted, and spring-boards are used to reach the 

 point above the swelling. The spring-boards are 4-5 teet long 

 and 8 inches wide, tapering from i inch in thickness to 2 inches 

 at the end which is fitted with an iron spur; they are usually 

 made of maple or other hardwood. Fallers prefer to use spring- 

 boards. The ground is usually soft and does not give firm 

 footing. On sloping ground it prevents the feet of the fallers 

 from slipping. 



In the western forests various systems of high-power logging 

 are in operation ; in British Columbia the high-lead system is 

 the more common. The initial system in the transportation of 

 a log from the stump to the mill is generally known on the 

 Pacific Coast as yarding or skidding (skidding is a term that 

 is coming into use to designate this operation). It consists of 

 assembling the logs at common points for some other method 

 of transportation. 



