Table 16. — Production of round and split 



fence posts in the p 



onderosa p 



ine region 



by Stale, 



forest-survey unit, and species 







From trees of saw-timber size > 



From smaller trees 



Forest-survey unit 



Western 

 redcedar 



Western 

 larch 



Douglas- 

 fir 



Pondero- 

 sa pine 



California 

 incense- 

 cedar 



Others 



Total 



Lodge- 

 pole pine 



Sierra 

 juniper 



Total 



Eastern Washington: 



Chelan-ColviJle 



M board 

 feet 

 1,503 

 954 



M board 



feet 



1,170 



700 



1,221 



M board 



feet 



334 



255 



610 



M board 



feet 



100 



64 



610 



M board 

 feet 



M board 



feet 



67 



21 



61 



M board 

 feet 

 3,174 

 1,994 

 2,502 



M cubic 



feet 



36 



27 



119 



M cubic 

 feet 



M cubic 

 feet 

 36 



Yakima River .. 







27 



North Blue Mountain 







119 











Total - 



2,457 



3,091 



1,199 



774 





149 



7,670 



182 





182 











Eastern Oregon: 



North Blue Mountain 





996 



164 



1,037 



569 

 164 

 314 



81 



569 

 246 

 314 

 115 





142 

 33 

 63 

 35 



2,276 

 738 



1,728 

 635 



92 

 35 

 68 

 37 



31 

 159 

 238 



75 



123 





131 





194 



South Blue Mountain. __ 





306 







404 



112 











Total_ „ 



131 



2,588 



2,197 

 5,288 



1,128 

 2,327 



1,244 

 2,018 



404 

 404 



273 



422 



5,377 

 13, 047 



232 

 414 



503 

 503 



735 





917 







i Figures given are log scale, based on Scribner rule. 



most of the region. Of the other species, consider- 

 able quantities of Sierra juniper were used in parts 

 of the Oregon units, where it is often the only supply 

 of wood readily accessible to ranchers. Small 

 quantities of oak were cut in the Deschutes and 

 Yakima River units. 



Fence Posts 



Since a large percentage of the fence posts are 

 cut by ranchers for their own use, it is difficult to 

 determine accurately the average annual produc- 

 tion, but in the period 1925-36 fence posts are esti- 

 mated to have made up about 1 . 5 percent of the total 

 volume of cutting depletion. Data on production 

 of round and split posts (table 16) were obtained 

 from the 1930 study of minor forest products and 

 the yearly number of post replacements was 

 compiled on the basis of a fencing-acreage ratio 

 for the farms of the region and an average post 

 life expectancy of 12 years. Allowance was made 

 for posts imported into the region, an estimate of 

 which was obtained in the 1930 study. Most of 

 the posts imported were utilized in the large agri- 

 cultural districts not readily accessible to forested 

 areas. 



The species and size of timber from which the 

 posts were cut depended almost entirely on what 

 was available, since in each unit there is one or 

 more species suitable for post production. Western 

 redcedar, one of the most desirable species for 

 post material because of its durability, was cut 



extensively in the Chelan-Colville and Yakima 

 River units and somewhat less in the Deschutes 

 River unit. Large quantities of split posts were 

 cut from western larch in all of the units except 

 the Klamath Plateau. The use of California 

 incense-cedar, another desirable species, was 

 limited to the Klamath Plateau unit. The great- 

 est number of round posts were made from Sierra 

 juniper, a very durable wood, although its use is 

 limited to the Oregon units. Lodgepole pine, 

 because of size and ease with which it can be 

 worked into posts, was utilized in all units. 



Fifty-five percent of the average annual volume 

 of posts produced was cut in eastern Oregon and 

 45 percent in eastern Washington. Sixty-five per- 

 cent was cut from trees of saw-timber size and 35 

 percent from smaller trees. 



Other Minor Products 



Small quantities of poles and piling were pro- 

 duced during the period 1925-36, principally in 

 the Chelan-Colville and Yakima River units. The 

 bulk of the poles produced were of western red- 

 cedar; a small quantity of California incense- 

 cedar poles was cut in the Klamath Plateau unit. 

 The piling was of western redcedar, Douglas-fir, 

 and western larch. 



Other minor products, such as railroad ties, 

 mine timbers, cross arms, and shingles, were cut 

 for local use, but the volume of each of these 

 products was negligible. Recently a small volume 



36 



