2 3 



tonwood in the small forest often yield 

 veneer logs. Specifications differ for 

 the individual plants and no cutting 

 should be done until the specifications 

 are known. Valuable timber can be 

 wasted and left in the woods by im- 

 proper cutting of this product. 



Mine timbers include props, lagging 

 caps, sills, and ties. Specifications differ 

 for each and it is best to see the buyer 

 before cutting any type of mine 

 timbers. 



Bolts and billets are short lengths of 

 logs used for making handles, spokes, 

 cooperage, excelsior, woodenware, and 

 many other small products. Ash, hick- 

 ory, beech, birch, maple, and oak are 

 used for ax, hammer, hoe, rake, and 

 shovel handles. Aspen, cottonwood, 

 basswood, willow, yellow-poplar, and 

 southern pines are used for excelsior. 

 Whiskey barrel staves are made from 

 white oak bolts. Other barrels are made 

 from staves of ash, beech, birch, maple, 

 basswood, elm, and sweetgum. Each 

 plant has its own specifications. The 

 forest owner should find out what the 

 plant will buy and how the product is 

 measured whether in cords, board 

 measure, pieces, or the running foot. 



Fuel wood has value for home use 

 because a standard cord of longleaf 

 pine, hickory, oak, beech, rock elm, 

 hard maple, the black locust, or sweet 

 birch, if dry, will give as much heat as 

 200 gallons of fuel oil or a ton of the 

 best coal. The heavier woods will 

 weigh about 2 tons a cord. Two cords 

 of the lighter woods (the white pine, 

 spruce, cedar, redwood, poplar, cy- 

 press, basswood) will give as much heat 

 as a ton of hard coal. Heat value is in- 

 creased if the fuel wood has been cut 

 early and allowed to dry. Fuel wood 

 can be cut from trees that are unsuit- 

 able for any other use and from limbs 

 of trees that have been removed for 

 other purposes. 



SELL YOUR FOREST PRODUCTS FOR A 

 PROFIT. That is the reward for good 

 forest management. 



Each time the management practices 

 are improved on the small forest, each 



Yearbook^ of Agriculture 1949 



time a better method of selling is prac- 

 ticed, the owner receives more cash. 



FOUR PRINCIPLES to help in making 

 profitable sales are: 



1. Sell only measured amounts of 

 timber. Other products from farm and 

 industry are sold by exact measure- 

 ment : Bushels of corn, pounds of beef, 

 tons of coal, and gallons of oil. When 

 the forest owner sells his timber on the 

 stump for a lump sum to the first buyer 

 who comes along with an offer, the sale 

 usually returns a large profit to the 

 buyer. 



Intelligent selling is based on know- 

 ing what one has to sell, both as to 

 the amount and quality. It requires 

 thought, care, and experience. Advice 

 from a forester may be needed until 

 the woodland owner is confident he 

 can go it alone. 



2. Harvest your own timber if it is 

 possible. 



If cutting and selling the converted 

 products such as sawlogs, pulpwood, 

 veneer logs, poles, and so forth, is a 

 possibility, a little rough figuring will 

 determine whether or not it will be 

 profitable : 



(a) Estimate the sale value of the 

 timber on the stump. 



(b) Determine harvesting costs 

 cutting, logging, hauling the product 

 to market, and so on. The purchase of 

 saws, tools, miscellaneous supplies, a 

 truck, and other operating equipment, 

 loss by depreciation, and the wages of 

 hired help and labor all are harvesting 

 costs. 



(c) Estimate the sale value of the 

 forest products you plan to cut. 



(d) From the sale value, subtract 

 the stumpage value and the harvesting 

 costs. 



(e) What remains is the owner's 

 wages and profit. 



Generally there is a profit in har- 

 vesting one's own timber. Also, greater 

 care can be exercised in protecting the 

 remaining crop trees from damage. 



3. Find the most profitable market, 

 both for sale of the trees on the stump 

 and the converted products. 



