174 TIMBER VALUATION 



midway between that of lumber alone and lumber and cordwood 

 combined. Durability is of the first importance here as with 

 poles while hardness is scarcely less important. The species 

 commonly used for poles are also those most sought for railway 

 ties 



For tight staves only a few species are suitable and oak, white 

 and red, is the most desirable. In fact more than four fifths of 

 all tight staves are of oak while whiskey and beer casks are made 

 from white oak only. Moreover, these uses demand clear lum- 

 ber so that they are not close in their utilization. Slack staves, 

 on the other hand, can be made from medium grade lumber from 

 a number of species and from small logs so that they utilize about 

 60 per cent of the total cubic contents of the average tree. 



Summarizing the utilization obtainable with the various uses 

 referred to above gives the following figures: 



Per cent of the 

 whole tree 



Clear wide softwood 5 to 10 



Clear hardwood 15 



Dimension or shop lumber 15 



Common boards 35 



Shingles , 60 



Laths 10 



Cordwood 20 to 80 



Poles 70 



Ties 20 to 70 



Cooperage, tight 15 



Pulp 20 to 80 



Tanbark (usually in addition to other uses) 



Having discussed the sale values of the various kinds of wood 

 products and the per cent of each which can be obtained from the 

 different commercial tree species, the two may be combined to 

 give average sale values per M for each species. These differ 

 from the Forest Service log run average prices f.o.b. mill in two 

 important respects. In the first place, the table given below 

 takes into consideration the use of wood for other purposes than 

 lumber. Tops and bark are included wherever merchantable. 

 Secondly, the values are wholesale prices in a recognized market, 

 not values f.o.b. the producing point to which uncertain freight 



