360 UNITED STATES FOREST POLICY 



the winter of 1914-1915, burned 2,000,000 feet of No. 4 boards 

 under its boilers, because there was no longer room to carry this 

 material in its yards. Another large operator dumped from 2 to 3 

 per cent of the entire cut into the waste burner because yard room 

 was exhausted. Many companies experienced losses from deterioration 

 of lumber in their yards, on account of the extra stock on hand and 

 the unusually long time it had to be carried. 



The second element of timber waste — poor utilization of the trees 

 felled — arises largely from the cheapness of timber in the United 

 States. Greater or less waste of this character has been inherent in 

 lumbering everywhere in the United States, but especially in southern 

 and western logging, because of the lack of diversified wood-using 

 industries and the heavy freights to large markets, which preclude 

 the shipment of material of low, value. Even under normal conditions, 

 as in 1912-1913, southern and western loggers left from 20 to 30 

 per cent of their timber in the woods, some of which would have been 

 put to use for box lumber, cooperage, etc., in eastern Pennsylvania or 

 central New England. It has been estimated by competent authori- 

 ties that in many instances only 35 per cent of the actual cubic con- 

 tents of the tree is utilized; the remaining 65 per cent being lost in 

 the stump, in sawdust, slabs, trimmings, broken timber, and low- 

 grade logs left in the woods. 



The third element of waste arises in the species of trees found in 

 nearly all forests, trees of lower value than the principal commercial 

 timbers because of poor standing in the trade, or because they yield 

 mainly low grades, and hence cannot be cut or can be cut only in part 

 when the market is poor. In many parts of the East, the leaving of 

 such species, like balsam and hemlock, in the early logging, did not 

 mean a loss, since they were taken off in later cuttings. Often, indeed, 

 they were of value in restocking cut-over lands, even though with 

 inferior species. In western operations on private land, however, most 

 of the timber left is destroyed in the slash fires which usually follow 

 logging, or deteriorates so much before a second cut is practicable 

 that it cannot be credited as a future forest resource. 



This waste of timber has in part been an inevitable feature of pri- 

 vate exploitation of a cheap natural resource ; but it is most unfortu- 

 nate, nevertheless, for important public interests are involved. Aside 



