204 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



LOGS ARE USUALLY SENT INTO THE MILL ON SMALL TRUCKS RATHER THAN A JACK LADDER. 



and toys are exported to America as 

 well as to every European country. 

 The center of this industry is in Nurem- 

 burg in northern Bavaria. Slabs are 

 utilized largely for boxboards, veneer 

 cores, short stock, fuel, novelties, etc. 

 Sawdust is sold for fuel and is utilized 

 for making paper and wood alcohol and 

 for general packing purposes. In cov- 

 ering practically every producing region 

 of Germany, the writer failed to see a 

 refuse burner and it is doubtful if there 

 is one in the whole country. Prac- 

 tically all of their ties are sawed, which 

 saves the enormous waste prevalent 

 with our hewn ties. The German rail- 

 way specifications are also very eco- 

 nomical in that in cross section ties 

 need not be rectangular as is the case 

 with American ties. The upper side 

 can be as narrow as five or six inches, as 

 long as the base or lower face is at least 

 ten inches in width. By this means, 

 many logs are made to yield two ties 

 instead of one as with our railroads. 



A very interesting feature of their 

 sawmills is that hydro-electric or even 

 steam power supplied with coal is 

 utilized in many cases instead of using 

 sawdust and refuse for fuel. Scarcely 

 a single horse-power in the form of 



falling water in the mountains is allowed 

 to go to waste with the consequent re- 

 sult that a great economy is introduced. 

 It is said that the first sawmill in Ger- 

 many was run by direct water power'as 

 early as 1322. 



In grading, rules formulated and 

 adopted by lumber associations similar 

 to those in this country are prevalent. 

 They are based on dimensions and de- 

 fects in the same manner as with our 

 own lumber associations. All lumber 

 cut from certain butt logs is piled to- 

 gether for special uses such as matched 

 veneers, furniture stock, and fancy 

 panel stock. In almost every lumber 

 yard it is a common sight to see these 

 boards from the select logs piled one on 

 top of the other just as they occurred 

 in the log. Much better prices are 

 secured in this way for the best grade 

 of logs. Most of the oak from the fa- 

 mous Spessart region is piled in this 

 way and for fancy veneers and cabinet 

 work, especially fine large trees are said 

 to bring from $500 to $1,000 on the 

 stump. 



Wood is sold by the cubic unit rather 

 than by the board foot and it is probable 

 that in the future we will adopt the 

 same method. One is somewhat sur- 



