LUMBEEING IIT PINE REGION OF CALIFOENIA. H 



market conditions. Some operators cut the best white fir trees into 

 logs and the remainder, including tops, into engine wood or pulp 

 wood. An operator whose utilization is of the best type cuts pine 

 down to a 15-uich and fir to a 16-inch diameter on the stump, stumps 

 being cut from 24 to 28 inches high. He cuts smooth pine tops down 

 to 8 inches, smooth fir to 10 mches, and rough tops to 12 and 14 

 inches. On ordinary logs he allows 4 inches for trimming; and on 

 logs over 4 feet in diameter, 6 inches. He cuts the area clean. 



The minimum log length is usually 12 feet, though on several oper- 

 ations valuable pine logs are taken down to 10 feet. Logs of poor 

 quahty are left in the woods if 50 per cent defective, and often if 

 only 40 per cent defective; but, on the other hand, many firms log 

 pine butts or clear logs which are not 25 per cent sound. 



The utihzation on National Forest timber sale areas is commonly 

 •more intensive. Timber sale contracts provide that stumps be cut 

 not exceeding 18 inches in height and that tops be utilized down to 

 8 or 10 inches when smooth. The minimum log length is generally 

 10 feet, though in some instances 8 feet is specified for sugar and 

 yellow pine. Pine logs 33 J per cent and fir logs 50 per cent saund 

 are considered merchantable. The young growing timber, from 20 

 to 30 per cent of the volume of the stand above 12 inches in diameter, 

 remains uncut after logging. 



In ordinary sawmg practice the shortest board made is 10 feet 

 and the narrowest width is 4 inches. However, the mills that have 

 box or door factories resaw slabs to obtain suitable short pieces. 

 Clear edgings are utilized for lath and car strips. Band saws com- 

 monly cut two-sixteenth inch or three-sixteenth inch kerf; solid 

 tooth circular saws, four-sixteenth inch; and inserted tooth circular 

 saws, five-sixteenth mch. Most of the clear pine lumber is cut in 1, 

 1^, and 2 inch stock, and an extra thickness of from one-sixteenth 

 to one-eighth inch is allowed on each board for shrinkage. Shop 

 lumber is 1-| and 2 inches in thickness, the 1 |-inch stock being sawed 

 l}-g or If^ inches thick in coarse-grained timber. Most box lumber 

 is sawed 1^ inches thick, though both 1-inch and 2-inch box is cut. 

 The allowance for slirinkage is the same as in shop. Common lum- 

 ber is cut in inch stuff, one-eighth inch fuU. In addition an extra 

 width of from one-eighth to one-haK inch is allowed on each board to 

 provide for shrinkage. Fir lumber is usually cut without extra al- 

 lowance in thickness or width. 



