LITMBEKING IK PINE REGION OF CALIFORNIA. 23 



areas, because of the large amount of swamping required to give 

 room in which to turn them. 



Maintenance. — The maintenance of big wheels varies with the 

 size of the camp and the length of the haul. For large camps on 

 one-eighth mile hauls, 5 or 6 cents will cover the tool charge and 10 

 or 15 cents per 1,000 will meet the repairs. On very long hauls 

 probably 25 cents per 1,000 should be allowed for maintenance. 



STEAM-DONKEY YARDING. 



The most common method of yarding logs throughout the region 

 is by hauling on the ground with donkey engines and wire ropes or 

 cables. From 75 to 80 per cent of all the timber cut is yarded in 

 this way. This method is variously known as donkey yarding, 

 slack-rope yarding, or steam yarding. It is used by all the larger 

 companies, because it is adapted to a wide range of conditions. 

 Horse logging by large firms is confined to favorable areas, donkey 

 engines being used on all the more difficult ground. Small outfits 

 use horses because of the short life of the operations and the need for 

 limiting the amount invested. 



The yarding donkeys are of all types from the fight Dolbeer or spool 

 donkey to very heavy and powerful double-drum machines. The 

 principle involved is the same in aU: The logs are hauled in from the 

 woods to the machine by means of a wire rope wound on a drum or 

 spool, and the cable is returned to the woods by means of a horse or 

 of a smaUer return cable. 



The yarders may be set on railroad spurs, at chutes, or on reading 

 trails. In the case of settings on railroad spurs, the yard and land- 

 ing are identical and that part of the operation termed "from yard 

 to landing" is eliminated. The most efficient loggers are adopting 

 this practice, having found that under practically all conditions it is 

 economy in the end to construct a heavy mileage of logging railroad, 

 thus decreasing yarding distances and eliminating chuting or roading. 



Improvements. — Blasting stumps out of yarding trails is usually 

 unnecessary. Only rarely are stumps blasted out and then it is done 

 incidentally by some member of the yarding crew. As the use of 

 large high-speed machines hicreasos, the l)lasting of stumps may 

 become more common. 



Landings of some sort are necessary at practically aU donkey set- 

 tings on loading spurs, except when the donkeys are equipped with 

 A frames. Good landings j)uy for their construction by (^liminathig 

 delay in both yarding and loading. On sloping ground they include 

 excavations or fram(!Works for setting the donkey. The cheapest 

 kind is made by ])la(ing two logs parall(d at riglit angles to the track. 

 'Hie type used for loading witli a gin ])ole and ca})l('! with end hooks 

 or skids consists of two or tlin-f loj^s at right angles to the track and 



