72 FOREST PRODUCTS 



In addition to the above charge the stumpage should be added, but it is 

 frequently not taken into consideration as a stump charge is placed on the 

 saw and tie logs. 



On an operation of over 3000 acres, 10 miles from the railway in West 

 Virginia, the method of procedure was as follows: In the early spring 

 30 men were engaged for the work which was well located in a side valley. 

 The men worked together in sections laid off for them, and they were 

 paid $1.00 per cord for cutting the tree into tie logs, with the exception 

 of the better butt logs (used lor saw logs) , and for peeling and stacking 

 the bark. One man can cut and peel from i to 2 cords a day, and buck 

 up the tree. A gang of 30 men in this operation turned out about 900 

 cords in a month. This is equivalent of 30 cords per man per month, or 

 slightly more than an average of i cord per man per working day. A 

 portable mill was then brought in and the ties and butt logs sawed up. 

 The haul starts as soon in May as the condition of the roads permit, 

 and continues until about the middle of August. A team will haul about 

 a cord a load, and one load per day, on which the special contract price 

 was $3.50 per cord for hauling. The wagons are weighed at the railway 

 with the load on, and, after the load is removed. Each teamster is 

 credited with the number of pounds for each load. The bark is loaded 

 into cars containing about 7 to 8 cords each, for which work a charge of 

 $3.00 per car is paid. In this particular region it was estimated that it 

 required about 4 trees averaging 16 in. in diameter at breast height to 

 make a cord of bark. 



The cost on this operation, where a long haul was involved was as follows : 



Operation. 



Cost per Cord.. 



Stumpage 



Peeling 



Hauling 10 miles . 

 Loading on cars . . 



$1.30 



i.oo 



3-50 



.40 



$6.20 



Average prices f.o.b. cars $11.50 per cord. 



Profit $4.70 per cord, which includes overhead charges, depreciation, 

 and some equipment. 



The following table shows the yield of chestnut oak bark in cords 

 or long tons for a tree of average diameter in the southern Appalachian 

 Mountains: 1 



1 From " Chestnut Oak in the Southern Appalachians," by H. D. Foster and W. W. Ashe, 

 Forest Service, Circular 135. 



