282 FOREST PRODUCTS 



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on the tree and working backward with the grain. The tree is then peeled 

 with a bark spud and bucked up into the desired tie lengths with the 

 cross-cut saw. When faced on four sides, which is seldom done, the tree 

 is turned, scored and hewed on the other two sides before barking and 

 bucking. A few years ago softwood ties were sometimes chopped to 

 length, but this is seldom done now. 



The cost of hewing depends upon the following factors: 



1. The ability and efficiency of the hacker or tie chopper. 



2. The species and whether green or dead. 



3. The condition and slope of the ground. 



4. The run of timber; such as adaptable sizes, shape, length of 

 bole, freedom from limbs and defects, and amount per acre, etc. 



5. Specifications of ties. 



An experienced and efficient tie hacker will make from 40 to 50 ties 

 in favorably located and sized lodgepole pine and hemlock, from 35 to 40 

 in Douglas fir, western larch, western pine, cedar, loblolly and longleaf 

 pines and other softwoods and from 20 to 35 in oak, chestnut and hard- 

 woods. An average will run, in softwoods, between 20 and 35 and from 

 15 to 25 in hardwoods. 



Contracts for hewing No. i ties range from 14 to 15 cents for difficult 

 conditions down to 10 cents for good " chances " and from n to 8 cents 

 for " seconds." The usual prices paid in Pennsylvania are n cents for 

 chestnut and 13 cents for oak " firsts " and 8 and 10 cents respectively 

 for " seconds." In the West, 14 cents is a customary price for hewing 

 " first " and 9 cents for " seconds." A tie hack bends every effort to 

 make all the " firsts " possible from every tree handled as it is current 

 opinion among them that there is no money in making " seconds." 

 Hewing No. i ties in West Virginia and Kentucky costs from 13 to 15 

 cents per tie. On a tie operation in northern New Mexico where the 

 timber ran about 3 ties per tree, each man turned out about 20 ties on 

 an average per day. In a ten-hour day the time was divided as follows: 

 ij hours felling, 3^ hours limbing and scoring, 3 hours facing, i hour 

 bucking into lengths and i| hours peeling. On this basis the average 

 cost of hewing was distributed as follows: 



Operation Cost per Tie 



Felling $.011 



Scoring 032 



Facing 027 



Bucking 009 



Peeling on 



$ .090 



