1206 



Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1917 



Upsetting Old Ideas of Logging 



Are scientific methods and mech- 

 anical improvements to be forever 

 debarred from logging operations? 

 asked D. C. Magnus, at the recent 

 Appalachian Logging Congress. 



"Are we, as loggers, keeping pace 

 with the other great industries of 

 the world? Is it not a fact that the 

 lumbermen are being outstripped by 

 their own industrial competitors? 

 He must do more of the work with 

 power-driven machines. 



"For instance, the sickle, the knit- 

 ting needle, the old hand-looms, the 

 needle and thread, the coal pick, and 

 the cross-cut saw were all rocked in 

 the same cradle. The sickle has de- 

 veloped into a reaper, the knitting 

 needle into a great factory filled with 

 humming spindles, the needle and 

 thread into a sewing machine, the 

 coal pick into a coal cutter, and the 

 old cross-cut saw has remained a 

 hopeless case all these years. 



"Is it possible for the old cross-cut 

 saw to form an armor that cannot 

 be pierced by the scientific brains of 

 this age? 



"The cross-cut saw is not the only 

 tool to which we should bow our 

 heads in shame. Several weeks ago 

 we were moving earth for a railroad 

 grade and found a kit of stone tools 

 that were used by some prehistoric 

 race. Among the number there was 

 a stone axe. This axe was similar 

 to the one we use to-day, with the ex- 

 ception of being stone and having 



the handle attached on the outside. 

 Is it possible that we must cling to 

 that old stone model forever? Should 

 we not make some great effort to 

 get an electrically-driven tool to re- 

 place at least a part of its uses? 



"We are living in an age when it 

 recjuires a number of individuals to 

 compose an efficient unit. The back- 

 woods cabins are becoming land- 

 marks and the cave of the hermit a 

 curiosity. 



"Co-operation and concentration 

 effort must be made if we would have 

 our ideals become realities. 



"The loggers realize that they can't 

 compete with the other industries. 

 They should begin now to fortify 

 themselves against the future labor 

 problems which are sure to come. 



"The time has passed for a lumber- 

 man to be content to have a man at 

 the helm of the logging end of the 

 business who is not worthy of a great- 

 er title than 'bush man' or 'woods 

 hich.' 



A shrewd business man said to me 

 after going over a logging operation: 

 'I am surprised to learn of the re- 

 sponsibilities of a logging superin- 

 tendent. To be efficient he must be 

 a timber cruiser, machinist, civil en- 

 gineer, diplomat, and psychologist.' 



"The lumberman's slogan should be 

 "Scientific logging,' and he should put 

 forth every effort to get men to con- 

 duct it on scientific lines." 



Canada's Loss bp Forest Fires 



The statement has'^bsen made, and 

 sometimes disputed, that Canada 

 loses from $6,000,000 to $10,000,000 

 a year by forest fires. 



Now comes to hand a report of the 

 West Virginia Conservation Com- 

 mission showing that in one small 

 state, 710 fires occurred in 1908. 

 This was the estimate of the loss: 

 Area burned over: 1,703,850 acres. 



Standing timber 



burned 943,515,850 feet. 



Value of standing timber 



burned (at 1908 prices) 1,903,500 



Value of lumber, tan bark 

 and improvements burn- 

 ed $490,175 



Injury to soil and under- 

 growth 1,703,850 



Total of loss $ 5,097,525 



