120 BULLETIN 711, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



This second strap is intended to hold or slide the lead block slowly 

 to the gi'oimd in the event the main strap breaks. 



Trip-line blocks are the same as those used with the ground yard- 

 ing system. 



COST. 



The high-lead method is the cheapest method of yarding under 

 certain conditions. It has displaced the ground yarding system in 

 many cases, and the overhead system in a few. It seems assured of a 

 permanent field, but just how large can not be said at this writing. 



Labor cost. — Yarding output, which, with all yarding systems, 

 largely determines the labor cost, under proper conditions is from 

 15 to 30 per cent higher with the high lead than with the ground 

 system. 



The high-lead yarding crew is practically the same size as the 

 ground yarding crew. A sniper is not necessary with the high-lead 

 system, and the amount of powder used for clearing out yarding 

 roads is negligible when compared with that used in connection with 

 the ground yarding system. And, roughly, the same wages are paid. 

 Under the same conditions, the total labor cost per day, aside from 

 the labor cost for preparing spar trees, is practically the same with 

 both systems. 



The crew at one operation where the high-lead system was used 

 in connection with practically level land and second-growth timber 

 was as follows : 



1 hooktender. 



2 rigging men. 



3 choker men or hook-on men. 

 1 swamper. 



1 signalman. 

 1 chaser. 



1 engineer. 



2 wood buckers. 



The guy-line system of loading (see the discussion of guy-line 

 under "Loading") with one loading line was used. The yarding 

 and loading engines were mounted on a flat car set on a siding at the 

 base of the spar tree, steam for the loading engine being furnished 

 by the yarding engine boiler. The loading engine or lever man 

 was paid $5 per day. The chaser unhooked the logs when they were 

 yarded to the landing place and hooked the logs when loading was 

 in progress. In most cases the chaser has all he can do to unhook the 

 logs and another man is needed to hook the logs in loading. There 

 are times, of course, when the chaser can help with the loading. 

 This time is by no means lost, since not infrequently the loading op- 

 eration holds up the yarding, the help of the chaser tending to re- 

 lieve this condition. 



