344 LOGGING 



present market conditions make it profitable to remove some 

 or all of the latter, which is often impossible with water trans- 

 port. 



(2) It is dependent on an abundant rainfall to flood the 

 streams. During seasons of drought it may be impossible or 

 very expensive to move logs by water. This results in a short 

 log supply and the closing down or short-time operation of saw- 

 mill plants. Sawmills in the northern regions that are dependent 

 on water transportation for a log supply can only run for six or 

 seven months, unless special provisions are made for keeping the 

 log pond open during freezing weather.^ During the remainder 

 of the year the plant is idle and during this period the owner 

 does not realize on his investment. 



(3) There is a heavy loss in driving logs for long distances. 

 Logs of all species that have much sapwood suffer a heavy loss in 

 merchantable volume between the bank and the mill if they do 

 not reach their destination during the season in which they were 

 logged, because the sapwood is attacked by insects and fungi. 

 Basswood logs that have floated for a short period in water 

 containing vegetable matter acquire a peculiar and unpleasant 

 odor that renders the lumber from them unfit for sugar barrel 

 cooperage and packages for other commodities that are easily 

 tainted. 



The heartwood of stranded logs, especially of hardwoods, 

 suffers from checks and splits when exposed to the weather. 



A very appreciable loss in driving timber is due to sunken and 

 stranded logs. The extent of this loss is dependent on the species 

 driven and the character of the stream. 



Where timber is brought down rough streams, over water- 

 falls, and past obstructions it is often badly battered and broken, 

 and gravel and sand become imbedded in a large per cent of the 

 logs. Occasionally they accumulate iron and spikes, especially 

 where iron dogs are used in rafting. Much of this foreign matter 

 is not readily detected, and mills suffer a monetary loss due to 

 damaged saws and time lost by the sawmill crew. 



1 The sawing season in the North, on the Mississippi river, with sHght fluctua- 

 tions, is from May i to November i. 



