2l6 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



he did not think would be over five cents per thousand feet board measure. 

 He believed that when four-foot pulpwood was taken the cost of lopping 

 would be entirely made up in the extra amount of wood he would get. In 

 addition, his forest was left in much better condition than under the old 

 plan, and he believes that it decreases materially the danger from forest 

 fires. A remarkable saving in connection with lopping was made by another 

 operator who has been cutting spruce for saw logs, taking the timber out 

 with what was considered good economy. He left the lopping until after 

 the logs were removed and then went through, lopping the branches and 

 taking the timber out of the tops for pulpwood. In this operation, with 

 a force of eight men and a horse employed six days, ninety- seven cords 

 of pulpwood were obtained that would bring him $7 per cord delivered 

 at the mill. This is an average of two cords per man per day, making a 

 very profitable operation. 



As regards safety from fire, the full benefit is expected only after a 

 series of years, and yet evidence is in hand that even from the start lopping 

 may help to lessen the fire risk. One of the x\dirondack patrolmen writes 

 that he handled a fire the past season in lopped timber much easier than he 

 would have been able to do had the limbs not been lopped. His men were 

 able to approach much nearer to the fire and fight it to better advantage 

 because the fire was close to the ground. He believes it would have been 

 impossible to have stopped the fire where they did but for the fact that 

 the branches had been lopped. On the other hand, it is probable that a 

 fire in newly lopped timber is hotter and more thorough-going while it 

 lasts. 



On general grounds, and from the experience of the past season, the 

 following conclusion as to the practice of lopping tops may be stated. 



First. Danger from fire is probably lessened from the first by the 

 form in which the brush is left, easier to clear away and not high in the 

 air where it will throw sparks and start crown fire. At any rate, the 

 lopped brush lying close to the ground rots very much faster than unlopped 

 tops. In a few years it is incorporated with the soil and then ceases to 

 be fuel for fire. 



Second. As a rule, it would appear that in the Adirondack forests 

 reproduction is promoted. 



