THE SOTJTHEKN CYPEESS. 61 



The stumpage value of material left in high stumps will often pay 

 for felling and cutting up the tree. Complete utilization brings 

 down the fixed or overhead expense, leaving the operating cost alone 

 to furnish the basis for figuring the profit or loss of taking out the 

 individual material. This distinction, it is feared, is not clearly 

 drawn by the average operator. The installation in the main mill 

 of a small circular saw with 3-man crew to work up logs from small 

 trees, top logs, and others of low grade has been suggested as feasible 

 in mixed sizes and under ordinary conditions. 1 Logs of this class 

 tie up a big saw crew and by reducing the daily output increase 

 correspondingly the cost of manufacture. 



The second aim in cutting virgin stands should be the welfare of 

 the succeeding timber crop, to be secured by early and complete 

 restocking of the tract. It will be clearly understood that this applies 

 only to situations which promise to remain either permanently or 

 for a long period as swamp land. 



The essential requirements for satisfactory reproduction in virgin 

 stands are sufficient seed trees and openings to light. The vigorous 

 smaller trees, left because they are increasing at their most rapid 

 rate both in size and money value, will produce seed of the highest 

 quality though limited in quality. The stand might be cut to a 

 minimum diameter of 18 inches at breast height. A tree of this size 

 gives a butt log from 12 to 14 inches in diameter at the top end. 

 In virgin stands such trees vary from 130 to 170 years old and in 

 second-growth or open-grown stands from 65 to 90 years. For the 

 best results in reproduction it is desirable to leave standing on the 

 tract not less than from 4 to 8 trees per acre, from 10 to 18 inches in 

 diameter. The practice of felling overmature trees which clearly 

 contain no merchantable cypress timber is beneficial in clearing up 

 the area of pecky fungus, but undersirable where a deficiency in 

 younger seed trees exists. Old trees quite regularly produce crops 

 of seed, which, although less desirable, may be needed for restocking 

 the ground. 



Millions of young cypress trees are cut indiscriminately for such 

 uses as raft binders, car stays, mud sills, and cribbing logs on tem- 

 porary lines, where i lie ordinary hardwoods would answer the require- 

 ment and should be taken in preference to young cypress. Some con- 

 servative operators in Florida are requiring attention on the part of 

 their employ eea to the protection and encouragement of cypress repro- 

 duction and young trees. Groups or clumps of such trees are often 

 unnecessarily injured in felling large trees; in some cases skidder sots 

 and logging apur^ may just as well bo located in other placos. Tho 

 removal of the hardwoods should be accomplished to as fidl a degree 

 i'le in order to make openings for tho more valuable oypross 



1 To be l<X:aH:'\ in Urn :.ji:n ■<•■ Uy.,n.i I.Ik, 111:1111 ;;:uv. 



