FOREST ROADS 313 



being able to approach so near to the felled area as the 

 timber waggons. 



It must be remembered that heavy engines and loaded 

 trucks will often do a great deal of damage to grass rides ; 

 and, especially, to any culverts which may cross a ride. 



But when once on truck the cost of steam haulage by road 

 may be put at T Vd. per mile per cubic foot (/.*., 10 miles for 

 id.). 1 



If traction engines are used, they should only be allowed 

 in the woods during the summer season. 



Forest Roads. The necessity for having good roads 

 leading from the area upon which the timber is growing has 

 already been noticed ; and it has been stated, that in large 

 forest areas, it will generally be necessary to convert some of 

 the main rides into hard roads, unless such areas be inter- 

 sected by hard roads, either public or private. 



The making of metalled roads is, however, very expensive ; 

 even if stone can be quarried close by and can be had for the 

 labour of quarrying it. At 6s. a yard run, the cost per mile 

 would be 5 28. It will seldom be possible to make a road 

 at a less cost, and in many cases the cost will be very much 

 more. To what extent such an outlay is advisable, is a 

 matter requiring much consideration, and cannot be decided 

 with mathematical precision. However, a calculation after 

 the following manner will assist in arriving at a correct con- 

 clusion. 



Thus, supposing that there be 1 500 acres of forest ; that 

 it be normally stocked with all age classes ; that 20 acres a 

 year of mature timber, averaging 60,000 cubic feet, can be 

 cut ; that the average hauling distance from the centre of 

 the area to the nearest metalled road be I mile ; that at 

 present there be an indifferent grass track for this distance ; 

 and that it be estimated that a saving in haulage of Jd. per 

 foot for this mile could be effected if the track were made 

 into a good metal road. 



Then the saving in haulage per annum would be 125 if 



1 A somewhat smaller charge for very long distances, about -^d. per 

 foot per mile. 



