12 



BULLETIN" 234, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Where the cutting is mainly for mine timbers, as is the case in 

 most parts of Montana, the various classes of material are produced 

 in the woods by small groups of choppers at contract prices. Each 

 group, usually called a " company," consists of from 2 to 5 men, and 

 is assigned to a definite area of from 5 to 15 acres. The men of each 

 group fell the trees, saw them into proper lengths, peel the bark 

 from the stulls, and dispose of the brush. In Forest Service timber 

 sales the latter must be burned. During the safe months of the year, 

 from October 1 to June 1, the men burn the brush as the cutting 

 proceeds, but in summer they pile it for burning in the fall. Stumps 

 are cut low, usually from 4 to 12 inches high. In winter, holes from 

 4 to 6 feet deep often have to be shoveled out to reach the proper 

 point for cutting the trees. Although it is difficult to work under such 

 conditions, particularly since the days are short and are likely to be 

 stormy, work usually goes on throughout the year. Based on data 

 obtained in connection with a sale at French Gulch, on the Deerlodge 

 National Forest, the cost per thousand board feet of producing stulls 

 amounts to $4.56. This includes shoveling snow, felling and trim- 

 ming the trees, disposing of the brush, cutting the timber into stull 

 lengths, and peeling. Fifteen per cent of the total cost is chargeable 

 to snow disposal, while the largest single item is peeling, which costs 

 SI. 55 per thousand board feet, or 34 per cent of the total. The com- 

 plete distribution of time in stull making at French Gulch, Mont., 

 was as follows: 



Operation. 



Time spent 

 in produc- 

 ing 1,000 

 board feet. 



Cost per 

 1,000 feet. 



Per cent 



of total 



cost. 



Shoveling snow 



Felling trees 



Trimming trees 



Brush disposal, piling and burning 



Cutting into stull lengths 



Peeling 



Total 



Minutes. 

 72 

 50 

 20 

 77 

 100 

 165 



484 



SO. 68 

 .48 

 .19 

 .73 

 .93 

 1.55 



4.56 



15 

 10 

 4 

 16 

 21 

 34 



100 



SKIDDING AND HAULING. 



After the trees have been felled and cut into the proper lengths, 

 the logs, ties, mine timbers, and other products are skidded with 

 teams or single horses into skidways along the hauling roads or other 

 line of transportation. Whatever brush cutting or removal of down 

 timber is necessary to open the way for skidding it is done either by 

 swampers or by the skidders themselves. Where logging is easy and 

 the distance short, tie cutters often skid their own ties on a light 

 hand-sled over the snow, hauling about 10 ties to the load. Ties cut 

 from trees near a stream which is to be driven or a main logging 

 road are nearly always "hand-banked" in this manner. In Forest 



