FOREST UTILIZATION 39 



"Decker log loader." There is some mechanical 

 difficulty in constructing loaders of a sufficient 

 angle of leverage. 



XI. CHOICE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF TRANSPORTATION. 



Conditions governing the .selection of means of transportation are: 



A. Topography. Steep grades make it advisable to send products 



down by their own weight, so that animals and vehicles need 

 not reascend the grade. 



B. Periodicity of rain and snow fall (West Virginia for spring 



rains. Lake States for snow fall, California for spring drouth) 

 invite the use of means relying on water supply, on layers 

 of snow, on dry soil. 



C. Rocky soil entails blasting expenses and thus bars railroading 



and road building, Wet or swampy soil requires an artificial 

 surface on which means of transportation are placed. 



D. Existence of drivable creeks and rivers, their grade, rockiness, 



curves, steadiness of flow, the spans and number of bridges 

 crossing them, the danger or help expected from freshets are 

 factors bearing on the advisability of water courses used as 

 means of transportation. Electric power derivable from water 

 falls might be used as motive power in days to come. 



E. Availability of building material in the forest, especially the price 



of rails and ties and quality of stone etc. 



F. Total amount of stumpage, and stumpage per acre to be carried 



away from a given locality annually, periodically or once 

 only. 



G. Maximum weight and size, also average weight and size of 



pieces to be handled. 

 H. Price and effect of day labor and prospects of changing prices 



under the influence of labor laws and socialistic legislation. 

 I. Relative price of team labor and of manual labor. The ratio 

 between price of hand labor and team labor abroad is i to 8. 

 In this country it is i to 2^/2 ; in Lake States even less, viz., 

 I to 2. 

 J. Condition of existing public means of transportation ; roads, 



railroads and navigable rivers. 



K. Laws relative to rights of way and relative to damage inflicted 



on outsiders in the course of transportation, i. e., by splashing 



logs; raising wster level of lakes and thus destroying trees etc. 



L. Mileage of the various links forming the chain of transportation 



and speculation as to the building of additional public links 



of transportation. 



M. Silvicultural considerations, or choice between conservative and 



destructive lumbering. 

 Donkey engines are the destroyers of any second growth left on 



the ground and should be used only in clear cutting. 

 High two wheel logging carts are used abroad to save young 

 growth. 



