20 IMPROVEMENT THINNINGS IN 



and, finally, the most useful method, that of turning the tree with 

 a cant-hook, twisting its top in the direction of least support until it 

 gains momentum sufficient to crash to the ground. 



The labor of chopping over the 12 acres required 748 hours. Over 

 this area many of the so-called " pasture pines " were removed, which 

 always tended to make the average cost high, since so much time was 

 required to rid them of their side branches. The fact is that the more 

 expensive trees were removed and the least expensive to handle were 

 left. 



Good woodsmen are obtained for $2 per day, or for 74.8 days an 

 expense of $149.60 over the whole work. The logs were sawed " live- 

 run " into 2%-inch plank with 1-inch sidings, and according to the 

 mill scale totaled between 125,000 and 130,000 B. M. feet. Upon the 

 basis of 130,000 feet, the average cost would be $1.15 per thousand 

 for the felling and sawing into logs. 



The ordinary contracting price when cutting clean is around $1 per 

 thousand, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less; as a 

 rule, however, a little more, getting as high as $1.30 per thousand. 

 The chopping of this lot clean would have cost $1 to contract. 



Since it was foreseen that the removing of the " pasture pines " was 

 sure to add to the average cost of chopping the improvement thinnings, 

 a record was kept of the labor and the material removed from an area 

 where the work was entirely that of thinning. It required 112.5 hours 

 to go over 2.5 acres, where 27,000 feet were removed and 50,000 feet 

 left. At the rate of $2 per day, $22.50 was the cost of the work of the 

 improvement thinning, or an average of $0.83 per thousand by day 

 labor. 



The logging of this tract was done upon a low, four-wheeled truck 

 for two horses, since it was found to be more handy in driving about 

 the trees than the ordinary wooden-shod sled or " skid." On snow a 

 traverse sled was used. A few of the trees had to be snaked out with 

 a horse, but ordinarily two men could handle the logs by actually pick- 

 ing them up and carrying them to the sled or truck. The ordinary con- 

 tracting price for logging this lot would not be over $1.50 per thousand, 

 and the additional expense for picking the logs up from among the trees 

 left standing was not over $0.15 per thousand. 



CONCLUSION. 



Up to date (December, 1909) there are no bad results in the stand 

 left. 



From a practical standpoint there seem to be quite definite con- 

 clusions that it is possible to thin out a pine growth fifty years of age 

 with an additional cost of not over $0.15 per thousand for chopping 

 and $0.15 per thousand for the logging under ordinary conditions. 



JOSEPH J. DEARBORN. 



AUG. 15, 1908. 



