23 



EVIDENCES OF UNNECESSARY CUTTING OF LIVING TIMBER. 



One of the special objects of the investigation was to determine 

 whether or not unnecessary cutting of living timber had been done by 

 certain contractors who had purchased, at a reduced price, the speci- 

 fied " bug-infested " and " bug-killed" timber. Therefore, upon the 

 request of Mr. Pinchot, the writer made a careful study of the con- 

 ditions found in an extensive cutting in a "draw" east of Dead Ox 

 Canyon of Big Spearfish Creek. 



Much conclusive evidence was found that a large per cent of the trees 

 cut here and worked into railroad ties had been living and uninjured 

 by insects when felled. The evidence may be briefly stated as follows: 



All trees that are attacked and injured by the pine-destroying beetle, 

 whether in small or large numbers, plainly show the characteristic work 

 of the beetles in the bark and on the surface of the wood, as previously 

 described (p. 17) and illustrated (PL III, fig. 2; Pis. IV, VII). The 

 character of the work will also indicate whether or not a given tree 

 was living, dying, or dead when felled and the bark removed. The 

 operation of scoring, hewing, and barking the ties in this particular 

 cutting had evidently followed closely the felling of the trees. There- 

 fore the inner portion of the bark and outer or adjoining portion of 

 the wood of the scoring chips and the barked surface of the ties from 

 "bug-infested" and "bug-killed" trees bore abundant evidence of the 

 work of the insect and the condition of the tree when felled, while 

 those from health} r living trees, not injured or infested by bark-boring 

 insects, showed no traces whatever of the work of the beetle or of any 

 other "bug" or insect. 



The records of ties, counted as observed in the woods and examined 

 for the work of insects, show that out of 207 ties only 55 bore evidence 

 of having been cut from "bug-infested" and "bug-killed" trees, 

 while the other 152 bore no evidence of insect work on the barked 

 surface, but showed from the condition of this surface that they had 

 been cut from health}^, living trees; also that some of the trees had been 

 cut in the winter when the sap was down and that others had been cut 

 in the spring when the sap was up and the bark would peel. There- 

 fore it would appear that a large amount of living timber had been 

 cut which it was plainly evident the Government desired should remain 

 standing. 



SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING TIMBER-CUTTING CONTRACTS. 



In order to provide or guard against the cutting of living, uninfested 

 trees, along with the seriously injured and dying ones, it might be 

 suggested that it be plainly stated in contracts and instructions that no 

 living tree shall be cut which does not show, in the inner bark next to 

 the wood, the presence of large numbers of living insects, of the species 

 known as the pine-destroying beetle, or any other insect or insects 

 which may hereafter be designated as destructive enemies of the trees. 



