FOREST UTILIZATION 27 



driven into auger holes, or by chain rafting 

 dogs, consisting of two small wedges joined by 

 two rings and five links of chain. Weight 2^2 

 pounds. Price I2c. 



(b) The logs must have about equal length. Species 



not floatable otherwise are tied up with floaters 

 of pine, yellow poplar, cottonwood and linden. 

 In the Mississippi two oak logs are floated by 

 three cottonwood logs. 



(c) Such rafts are naturally stiff and cannot be used 



on rapid streams. The narrow and wide ends 

 of the logs should alternate so as to keep the 

 sections straight. 



C. Flumes. 



Flumes resemble chutes made of boards. They must be water 

 tight. They are largely used on the Pacific coast. 

 I. A V-shaped cross section has proven best Side boards 

 are equally long, about 16 feet, in double layers. Angle 

 of the V = 1 10. Top width is 3 feet to 4 feet. 

 IL An even constant grade of from i% to 3% is necessary, 

 also slight curves and large water supply, which is often 

 obtained from artificial reservoirs. High trestle bridges 

 are sometimes required. 



III. The main flume has a number of tributaries. A crew is 



stationed along the flume ; special attention is givn to 

 the inlets of tributaries. Patrol trails along the flume. 



IV. The fluming of logs is said to be unsuccessful. In the 



West, anyhow, the size and weight of the logs would 

 prevent fluming. Nowadays either planks or heavy di- 

 mension stuff, to be resawn at the outlet of the flume, 

 are sent down. Only coniferous lumber is flumed. 

 5"he lumber in the flume forms one continuous chain; 

 this arrangement prevents the lumber from sticking 

 and catching at the side walls of the flume. 

 V. Famous flumes are those at Chico Sierra Nevada 

 range (40 miles of flume), the flume of the Bridal 

 Veil Lumber Company and the Great Madeira flume, all 

 in California. The last is 54 miles long and has a 

 daily carrying capacity of 400,000 feet of lumber. It 

 cost only $5,000 per mile. 



The scarcity of water in California is the greatest ob- 

 stacle to the continuous use of flumes. 



D. \Vater transportation over lakes and sea is effected in the fol- 



lowing way : 



I. In the "fiords" of the Pacific coast, logs standing upright 

 are chained together so as to form a stockade in which 

 the other logs are similarly placed, filling it tightly. 

 Such stockades hold about half a million board feet of 



