HARVESTING THE FOREST CROP 131 



Cypress trees have been girdled a few months previous 

 in order to dry them out somewhat and increase their 

 floating capacity. When the trees have been felled the 

 cable of the pull-boat is hauled out into the woods, the 

 logs are attached to the end, the engine winds up the 

 cable upon the drum and the logs come crashing through 

 the swamp until the canal is reached. In the canal the 

 logs are joined together and towed to the mill. 



Lumbering on the Pacific Coast. In the Pacific Coast 

 region still another type of logging has been devised. 

 On account of the huge size of the trees and logs 

 found there, the loads are too large for horses or oxen 

 to be used advantageously. Consequently the re- 

 sourceful lumberman has made use of stationary steam 

 engines of mammoth size to bring in the enormous 

 trees. The trees are felled and in some cases exceed- 

 ingly high stumps are cut, a spring-board being used 

 upon which the choppers stand while felling the 

 trees. Extreme care must be used in felling these 

 forest giants, as, on account of their size and the force 

 with which they fall, a trunk may be badly broken 

 when it hits the ground. The undercut is very care- 

 fully placed so that the tree will fall upon a good 

 landing and in some cases a bed may be prepared to 

 break the fall of the huge trunks. After the tree has 

 been felled the logs are "bucked up" as usual, and 

 bunched by means of a yarding engine, a huge' 

 stationary engine equipped with a revolving drum and 

 cable. The logs are assembled in a yard and at this 

 point may be loaded on cars for transportation or if 

 the mill is near by a train of logs may be made and 

 another huge engine located at the mill will pull in this 

 string of logs in a groove or chute. If the logs are 

 of moderate size, in some cases cables may be strung 



