Species Used 



Out of 268 wood-using mills. 173 procure white pine as raw material. This 

 represents 66 percent of the industry. Hemlock is nearly as important with 

 63 percent reporting its use. Spruce follows with 27 percent and hardwoods 

 8 percent. Other hardwoods are used in producing veneer, turnings, etc. 



Table 6. Species Used by All Mills 



White Pine All Pines Hemlock Spruce 



Special 

 Hard- Hard- 

 woods woods 



21 



34 

 12 



Quality Requirements 



The oidy evidence of quality as a requirement in procuring raw material 

 for sawmills appears as an indicated willingness to pay a price differential. 

 In mills other than sawmills, three have written grades and ten use printed 

 specifications. 



A special study was made at 32 sawmills in order to determine the di- 

 mensions of the average white pine log. The sample consisted of 640 logs. 

 Twenty were measured at each mill. They were chosen as the next logs 

 to be sawed on the mill deck. The average length was found to be 10 feet 

 and the average diameter 9.09 inches. The size of log appears to indicate 

 lack of quality since larger diameters and greater lengths could be expected 

 to yield higher grade lumber. 



Measurement Practices 



The New Hampshire or caliper log rule is used by a majority of mills. Out 

 of 135 mills reporting. 62 used the New Hampshire and 39 the International. 

 Other rules used are the Vermont and the cord. Mill tally or measurement 

 of each piece when sawed is used in few mills. 



In connection with purchases of stumpage, the methods of measurement 

 are cruising, ocular estimate, log volume scale, and mill tally when sawed. 

 Here the ocular estimate was used by 43.5 percent of the mills, mill tally 

 by 28.7 percent, log volume scale by 16.7 percent, and cruising information 

 by 11.1 percent. 



Transportation 



There is no very clearcut pattern or custom as to whether mill owners use 

 their own trucks and drivers or employ contractors. Out of 264 mills, 82 

 have their own trucks, 89 employ contract truckers, and 88 both own trucks 

 and hire contractors. Eleven of these also depend on other types of trans- 

 portation such as rail haul, and the remainder consist of portable mills 

 which operate at woodland settings and do no trucking. 



Mills in the higher production class secure raw material from greater 

 distances than those of the lower production class. 



