24 IMPROVEMENT THINNINGS IN 



4. Piling. Considerable oak piling is used. In the larger sizes 

 35 feet long and upward there is a good demand. The smaller 

 lengths from 16 feet up can be sold, but there is a good deal of risk 

 in cutting them unless a market is obtained beforehand. White 

 oak is the best for piling. No general price for piling can be given, 

 because the distance of haul and expense of handling is such a large 

 factor. From 2 to 6 cents a running foot cut in the woods has been 

 received for the short piles, and as much as $5 apiece standing for 

 the big ones. 



5. Posts. In a few places it has been possible to sell white oak 

 posts 6 inches in diameter. With the chestnut going this seems 

 to offer a good field for future development. 



6. Other recorded uses are for rustic furniture, fences, baskets 

 and chemical wood. 



COST OF THINNING. 



The cost of carrying on a thinning operation depends on the 

 amount of wood to be cut; the amount of brush and its disposal; 

 the size and density of the growth; the severity of the thinning; 

 the efficiency of the labor; and to a lesser degree on the area of the 

 tract, the supervision, the tools and equipment, and other minor 

 factors, as weather conditions, topography, etc. 



Figuring of cost should be done on the basis of so much per 

 cord, tie, thousand board feet, etc., rather than so much per acre. 

 Labor should be hired on the cord basis where possible. In light 

 thinnings, in brush cutting, near cities, or for brush disposal it is 

 often impossible to have 7 the work done except by day labor. In 

 places where the labor supply is inadequate it is better to put up 

 a camp and bring in a crew than to use irregular and inefficient 

 local labor. 



It must be borne in mind that the per cord cost of thinning is 

 higher than the cost of the ordinary wood chopping. In a thinning 

 only part of the trees are taken, making the felling more difficult, 

 and the work more scattered. Also the poorer and smaller trees 

 are cut and the best ones left, which also adds to the proportionate 

 expense. Usually the owner of the thinned area wants a fairly 

 neat job done, with low stumps and some sort of brush disposal. 

 This adds to the cost. Therefore the owner should undertake these 

 thinnings not to make money, but to keep from losing money 

 through the destruction caused by the moths or the cost of combat- 

 ing them. In fair growth he probably will make a little money, 

 but his largest returns will be in the conservation of what he has. 



