Marketing Forest Products Is an Important Phase 

 of the Agricultural Economy of New Hampshire 



\\'oodland owners throughout the State were interviewed in order to 

 secure from them information about practices, facihties, and the prices they 

 receive from the sale of their wood products. 



The information has been analyzed, and when a summary is completed, 

 it should reveal the present status of marketing from the woodlot owner's 

 point of view. 



To present a balanced study, it is also desirable to secure information 

 from the buyer or the first handler of these products. This information is 

 now being gathered through interviews with owners of sawmills, pulp mills, 

 excelsior plants, wood dealers, and others. About 45 such contacts have 

 been made. 



As soon as the samphng process is completed, all of the information 

 will be integrated and the results published. 



L. C. Swain 



The Utilization of Products from Chemically Treated Trees 



Chemically kilhng instead of cutting unwanted trees to improve com- 

 position and quality of the forest is a new and economical approach to an 

 important practice. 



When trees are killed and remain standing, changes take place in the 

 bark and \vood which may affect the utilization value of these trees. If they 

 are suitable for fenceposts, it is important to know their drying rate. 



To secure information on white pine trees normally removed in thin- 

 ning, 70 pole size trees were selected and numbered in November, 1953. 

 The odd numbered poles were treated with sodium arsenite tabs. The even 

 numbered trees were untreated and used as controls. 



At two-week intervals one treated and one untreated tree was cut. 

 seven-foot poles were sawed from both trees. At the end of the first 7-foot 

 cutting, wood samples were taken for moisture determination. Internodal 

 sections were also taken for the same purpose near the tops of the trees. 



From 17 pairs of trees so far examined, it was found that a fairly 

 gradual moisture loss occurred during the first 26 weeks. After that, the 

 rate of loss was much greater. 



A second plot of 100 trees received similar treatment in May, 1954. 

 Not enough observations have been secured so far to show definite trends. 



L. C. Swain 



Results of an Investigation of the Variable 

 Plot Method of Cruising Timber 



A major activity in forestry is the determination of standing timber 

 volumes. Within recent years a new approach has been developed which 

 promises to speed up timber volume estimation. Briefly, this new variable 

 plot method consists of establishing a number of sampling points in the 

 timber stand to be inventoried. The estimator then occupies each sampling 

 point successively. He views the diameter of every tree visible from each 

 point, counting the trees whose diameter appears larger than a hand held 

 angle gauge. The total count of all trees, divided by the number of sampling 

 points, multiplied by a constant, will give an estimate of average basal area 



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