Canadian Forcstri/ Journal, OcUjIxt, 1!)17 



1355 



THE RIGHT LOG LENGTH 



TO PREVENT WASTE 



By R. O. Sweezey, 



The point to observe aliout 16 ft. 

 logs is that spruce will cut one to 

 four logs per tree. In black spruce 

 we usually get two or three logs in 

 the mature trees, and where two logs 

 are cut, probably over 50 per cent, 

 of such trees would yield an additional 

 8 to 12 ft. down to 4 in. top; but, as 

 the operating company wants only 

 16 ft. logs, the lumberjack has no 

 choice but to leave the top to rot in 

 the woods. The difficulty lies in 

 the fact that the logs are too long. 

 Multiples of 12 ft., say, would give 

 three logs, equal to 36 ft., where only 

 two 16 ft. logs can be cut. It is 

 obvious that both in theory and prac- 

 tice the shorter the log the more com- 

 plete will be the utilization of the tree. 

 Now, in the Province of Quebec 

 (which boasts the best log-makers in 

 the world), where streams are so 

 plentiful that long hauling is rare, 

 logging is done mostly by the single- 

 horse method. One immediate re- 

 sult is that roads cost much less, and 

 with small horses the jobber gets into 

 corners where pulp logging by the 

 Ontario system would be very costly. 

 By reason of this single-horse system 

 and narrow roads (aptly described 

 by an Ontario operator as "cow- 

 paths,") the jobber, equipped with 

 his home-made sleighs of peculiar 

 design, can and does make more logs 

 and greater quantity in a given time 

 than the Ontario log-maker. . But he 

 prefers the shorter logs; 9 to 12 ft. suit 

 him best, because one man alone can 

 handle these better than he can the 

 16 ft. logs, for which, if he must make 

 them, he demands 50 cents a cord 

 more. Thus the extra cutting neces- 

 sary in logging the shorter lengths is 

 more than offset in the handling. 

 The question, then, is why should 

 not all Ontario pidpwood operators 

 adopt the shorter lengths and save 

 the waste now occurring in tree-tops? 



NEW STUMPAGE LAW IN N.B. 



An act to falicitale the collection 

 of stumpage, which is of special in- 

 terest to the lumber, pulp wood for 

 paper mdustries, has been agree on 

 in the New Brunswick Parliament. 

 The new measure provides: 



All licensees of crown landn in the 

 Province shall annually, not later 

 than the first day of October in each 

 year, furnish the Minister of Lands 

 and Mines with a sworn statement 

 of all operations upon timber berths 

 held by such licensees, stating the 

 quantity, number, and superficial con- 

 tents and kinds of logs, lumber, or 

 other timber cut or made, upon each 

 of such timber berths during the 12 

 montlis previous to the first day of 

 May in each year, and also the quan- 

 tity cut or made upon granted lands 

 during the same 12 months. 



All licensees exporting pulp wood, 

 rossed or otherwise, shall furnish a 

 sworn statement to the Minister of 

 Lands and Mines at the close of the 

 shipping season showing the number 

 of cords shipped. 



Should any licensee fail to comply 

 with the provisions of this act, or 

 should the statement furnished be 

 found to be willfully inaccurate, the 

 licensee furnishing the same shall 

 forfeit all right to his license, and 

 the berths and limits shall become 

 vacant. 



The Canadian farmer, in so many 

 districts, receives part of his income 

 from his wood lot or must clear his 

 land before planting, that depart- 

 ments of agriculture should pay con- 

 siderable attention to the forestry 

 side of the farmer's education. The 

 opportunity seems to lie in three 

 channels, the agricultural bulletin 

 and country paper, the district re- 

 presentative and his local organiza- 

 tions or clubs, and the agricultural 

 college. 



A comparatively small amount of 

 instruction and demonstration should 

 be of very considerable value to the 

 young farmer. 



