2 24 REPORT OF THE 



a crew of three men. The usual custom is to take a strip through the 

 forest, the men keeping abreast within easy speaking range of each other, 

 marking every tree between them which is to be removed, and watch- 

 ing each other to see that no trees of the proposed Hmit or above are over- 

 looked. The inside man follows the line of marks already made, and the 

 others are guided by him. The man on the side next to the forest which 

 has not been marked spots a hardwood tree occasionally, where there is 

 not sufficient marked timber to sen^e as a returning guide line. It is esti- 

 mated that a crew of three men can mark from 40 to 60 acres a day. The 

 cost of marking on this tract shovtld not exceed 15 cents per acre. 



Method of Cutting. 



There are but two methods of cutting timber in common use — chop- 

 ping and sawing. Since sawing saves much timber which is necessarily 

 wasted by chopping, it is strongly recommended for Township 40. It will be 

 apparent even to those who are entirely unacquainted with lumbering 

 methods that a tree felled and cut up with a saw yields more lumber than 

 one cut with an axe. The kerf chopped out with the axe causes a loss in 

 length of approximately one-half the diameter on the butt of each log. 

 This being usually the best part of the log, it is very advisable to save it. 

 For an illustration of the difference between the two methods of cutting 

 see PL XI. What this difference would mean on this tract, on the Spruce 

 alone, is approximately as follows: The average Spruce tree 12 inches and 

 over at breastheight on Township 40 yields 1.26 standards if cut with the 

 saw, as shown in PI. XI, fig. i. If cut with the axe, as in PI. XI, hg. 2, it 

 would yield only 1.19 standards, a loss of .07 of a standard per tree. If 

 we assume that the total merchantable stand of 328 287 standards is con- 

 tained in 260 545 trees with an average contents of 1.26 standards per tree 

 if cut with the saw, then a loss of .07 standards per tree by chopping would 

 mean a total loss of 18 238 standards for the whole tract. At 50 cents 

 per standard this loss would reach $9 119. A greater numl^er of cuts, made 

 by cutting the timber in shorter lengths, would increase the loss propor- 

 tionately. 



It is the usual custom in cutting Spruce logs intended for pulp-wood 

 to cut them 14 feet 4 inches long. Each log then makes seven 2-foot 

 lengths of pulp-wood, when cut up before " rossing." The four additional 

 inches are to cover the necessary loss in cutting up and in trimming off the 

 battered, discolored, and damaged ends of the logs, caused by driving them 



