FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



227 



or Other obstacles, tend to make this impossible. But it is recommended 

 that no cutting more than 6 inches above the top of the root swelling be 

 allowed. 



Diameter Limit at Top End. 



The following table, obtained by very careful measurements of i 064 

 Spruce, shows in standards how slight is the difference in scale of the top 

 log gained by cutting to a diameter Hmit at the top end of 4 or 5 inches 

 rather than 6 inches. 



TABLE No. 27.— DIFFERENCE IN SCALE BETWEEN CUTTING THE TOP LOG TO 

 4 OR 5 INCHES AND TO 6 INCHES AT THE TOP END. 



Diameter breasthigh. 



Number of 



trees 

 analyzed. 



Total gain by 



cutting 



to 5 inches 



rather than 



to 6 inches. 



Average 



gain 

 per tree. 



Total gain by 



cutting 



to 4 inches 



rather than 



to 6 inches. 



Average 



gain 

 per tree. 



Average 

 number of 



trees 

 per acre. 



Inches. 





Standards. 



Standards. 



Standards. 



Standards. 





10 and over. 



I 064 



3-39 



.003 



4.06 



.004 



23-40 



12 and over. 



883 



2.16 



.002 



2.52 



.003 



15 56 



14 and over. 



602 



■44 



.001 



.26 



.0004 



9 95 



The average gain in the top log per tree 12 inches and over cut to 

 5 inches at the top end instead of to 6 inches is 0.002 standards. There is 

 an average stand of 15.56 trees, 12 inches and over, per acre on Township 

 40. The gain per acre, cutting to 5 inches instead of to 6 inches, would 

 therefore be 0.031 12 standards. For the whole area of 16896 acres this 

 gain would be 525.80 standards, or only sixteen-hundredths of i^ of the 

 total yield of Spruce cutting to 6 inches. 



It is true that if the purchaser of stumpage were to manufacture his 

 own timber, the value to him of the additional material which the smaller 

 limit would yield would be greater than the table indicates. But if the 

 timber is sold by scale, as advised in this working plan, there would be no 

 appreciable gain to the owner of the timber, though the forest would benefit 

 by the removal of so much more of the objectionable tops. Further, all 

 log buyers and dealers in pulp-wood object very strongly to any smaller 

 diameter than 6 inches. With a diameter of 12 inches at breastheight. the 

 top at 6 inches is sure to be about as far up in the limbs as the tree will 

 have any commercial value, even for pulp-wood. 



