216 The Farm Woodlot 



Too large a bend must be " butted" out. When the logs 

 are marked, clean away the bark at that point and saw 

 off the logs. In sawing a horizontal stick the weight of 

 the saw is sufficient ; do not bear down on it. If the saw 

 binds, wedge as before. It is also necessary sometimes to 

 prop up the under side of the trunk. The limbs can be 

 trimmed off either before or after the logs are cut. This 

 will depend on how the logs open up. They should be 

 cut smoothly, close to the trunk, not left to catch in the 

 ground when the log is snaked out. 



Skidding 



This is dragging the logs to the place where they are to 

 be loaded. The method of skidding must be adapted to 

 the conditions, and there are about as many methods 

 as there are different conditions. Here the methods can 

 be only briefly sketched. 



Two general divisions may be made : (1) when small 

 skidways are made in the woods in any convenient place ; 

 (2) when larger skidways are made on the road. 



The first method is used when the logging is done in 

 the summer time on hard open ground so that a wagon 

 can be taken anywhere in the woods, or when there is 

 not enough snow in the winter to prevent the sleighs 

 from leaving the road. One or two, rarely three or four, 

 loads are put in each skid way. This means that the 

 logs need be skidded only a short distance. Under these 

 circumstances, the logs are usually " snaked" to the skid- 

 way. In snaking, a pair of skidding tongs are attached 

 to a whiffle-tree, one horse for small logs, two for large, 

 and the logs are dragged along the ground. A collar 



