TIMBER VALUATION 135 



dent power may be developed to handle the immense logs. Oxen 

 and horses have proved futile. But if properly appUed, steam 

 skidders give low costs per M when there is sufficient timber to 

 justify the heavy initial investment. 



The large size of the timber has also dictated the methods 

 employed to transport the logs from the skidding yards to the 

 mills. There are plenty of drivable streams in the region for 

 timber of ordinary size but they are too steep, too rocky, and too 

 crooked to carry large logs. Hence railroads had to be built 

 into the timber even tho it is all softwood and not hardwood. 

 But railroads are the most economical method of log transport 

 where there is enough timber to cover the heavy initial invest- 

 ment. In fact logs in this t>'pe cost as little j>er M laid down in 

 the mill pond as those from any type simply because there are 

 heavy stands p>er acre and steam can economically replace hand 

 labor. This is more esp>ecially the case where rafting on salt 

 water can take the place of rail transport. This, of course, only 

 applies to timber on tidewater but a large percentage of what 

 has been so far cut has been thus advantageously situated. 



Milling charges do not differ much from those that prevail in 

 other regions altho the saw, carriages and other equipment have 

 to be unusually large. The high cost of labor seems to offset 

 any advantage there is in the large logs. 



Average costs per M from the stump to the car in 191 5 may be 

 summarized as follows: 



Felling and bucking $0.60 or one and one-half man hours. 



Yarding and loading 2.00 or three man hours plus fixed charges. 



Transport to mill: 



-, .,"'.' ' [or five man hours plus fixed charges. 



By railroad 2.00] 



Milling 4.00 or four man hours plus fixed charges. 



Total cost $7.85 or $8.60 



Using an average logging cost of $7.25 per M there are the 

 following margins p)ossible for stumpage and profit with the 

 spedes which occur in this type: 



