HARVESTING THE FOREST CROP 133 



From the trough the logs are shunted out upon the 

 sloping deck from which they are rolled upon the saw 

 carriage, which slides back upon its track to receive a 

 new log when the last board has been sawed from the 

 previous one. Ordinarily two men ride up on the 

 carriage, and it is their duty to fasten the log in position 

 and push it forward enough to cut the thickness of 

 board desired by the sawyer. Back and forth upon 

 the track rushes the saw carriage, hurling the log upon 

 the rapidly revolving band or circular saw. The 

 sawyer stands near the saw with the levers controlling 

 the machinery within easy reach. At his direction the 

 "setters" on the carriage push the log forward to make 

 a one- or two-inch board, according to the possibilities 

 of the log ; upon his skill and judgment may depend the 

 profit of the mill, as a poor sawyer may ruin many 

 thousand feet of lumber each day. 



After the whirling saw has sliced a slab from the 

 log the carriage rolls back to the end of its track and 

 rushes again toward the saw. The boards which are cut 

 from the log are carried forward on revolving rollers, 

 called "live rolls/' and passed through the "edger," 

 which removes the bark and leaves the board with 

 straight edges. The slabs and edgings are disposed of 

 by being cut into short pieces and carried out to the 

 refuse pile where they are burned. In the meantime 

 the boards are trimmed to the proper length, fourteen, 

 sixteen or eighteen feet as the case may be and finally 

 they reach the grading table, a long platform upon 

 which they are kept moving by an endless chain. Here 

 an expert inspects each piece and marks it with an 

 appropriate sign which indicates the quality and the 

 pile in which it belongs. 



Seasoning the Lumber. The only process remaining 



