Possibilities of a Second Cut 19 



Once the land is cut over properly, the investment in this second 

 cut will carry itself independent of all other portions of the opera- 

 tion, and the investment left in the woods or spent for protection 

 or taxes will, as a rule, be returned with 5 per cent compound 

 interest when the final cutting is made. 



Cutting should, therefore, be confined as much as possible to 

 stands which are suitable for a second crop, since the sooner these 

 are cut over the greater will be the amount of growth secured 

 before the close of the whole operation. An exception to this 

 rule is timber which is very old and decadent, which should be 

 cut as soon as possible. But unless there is rapid deterioration, 

 it will pay to hold mature timber for better prices. 



ADMINISTRATION 



The present superintendent of logging, the camp foremen and 

 the team bosses are fully occupied with the details of the work as 

 now conducted. Two extra employees are needed to assure proper 

 enforcement of the provisions outlined to secure a second cut. 

 One man could begin as saw boss and, while engaged at first 

 chiefly in eliminating waste, direct or supervise the felling and 

 secure the requisite amount of top lopping. Burning could be 

 done by one or two laborers under his supervision. 



The marking of the timber might easily be done by a second 

 man who should cover a maximum of forty to fifty acres per day. 

 Both of these men could be woodsmen or laborers of the better and 

 more capable class. The saw boss would prevent more than enough 

 waste to pay his salary, leaving the wages of the other man as a 

 charge against the second crop. If, by his marking, the returns 

 from growth can be increased from 1,000 to 1,800 feet b.m. per 

 acre, which is a fair estimate of the improved growth resulting 

 from the proper selection of trees, the net result of marking forty 

 acres is an increased yield of 32,000 feet b.m. in ten years. At 

 this rate the investment in wages for marking shows a good 

 profit over the system of rigid diameter limits in cutting. 



It is recommended that a forester familiar with southern pine 

 be employed to train the woodsman in marking. The principles 

 of marking are easily applied, but must be learned by actual 

 demonstration before ordinary woodsmen can be trusted to carry 

 them out successfully. The forester should classify the land on 

 the basis of the second cut, make a type and timber map, and 

 exercise supervision over brush disposal. He should study the 

 cut-over lands, and the problem of windfalls and insect attacks, 

 and be responsible for the efficient direction of all operations 

 connected with prolonging the cut. 



