42 BULLETIN 718, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of the tree (notch) " saw round " or cut the corners, leaving a couple 
of inches of the fiber between the saw cut and the notch uncut on one 
corner. In this way the strain which will be exerted when the tree is 
falling will pull the body of the tree in the direction you want it to 
fall. " Sawing round " prevents a leaning tree from splitting on the 
stump and possibly breaking the saw. 
In felling very tall straight timber with a heavy crown it is some- 
times difficult to ascertain in which direction the tree leans the heav- 
iest until the saw is half way in the cut, when the saw becomes fast 
and requires heavy wedging to loosen it. In wedging such trees, great 
care should be taken to prevent them from coming back over the cut 
and injuring the men. Thick wooden wedges are used in extreme 
cases of this kind. Men felling timber should always yell " timber " 
before the tree starts to fall, and when it starts, should remove the 
saw and stand clear. 
The tree should never be completely severed from the stump. Or- 
dinarily a tree, when falling, will break off 2 or 3 inches of the fiber 
between the saw cut and the notch. A heavy notch which leaves a 
long stub on the butt log should be avoided. 
Sawyers should endeavor to fall the timber as favorably as possible 
for skidding purposes, and in a way to prevent the cuts from pinch- 
ing the saw. A little care along those lines will perceptibly affect 
the volume of cut. Keep count of the number of logs each gang cuts 
per day. 
If a tree lodges in another when falling, fall the one it is lodged 
against at once, or, if you are an expert in judging the direction of 
falling timber, fall another one against the one lodged so as to bring 
down the latter. Xever continue working around a lodged tree. It is 
likely to hit you when you are not expecting it. 
After a tree is down, the limbs should be cut off close to the bole 
and thrown out of the way. The next step is to measure off each log 
by placing the measuring stick (8 feet long) flat on the bole and 
clipping a piece of bark off at the end of the first 8 feet, then mov- 
ing the stick forward to the exact length of the log to be cut and 
making a plain notch in the bark for 2 or 3 inches over the exact 
length, to allow for trimming and broomage on the ends. Walk 
alongside the tree, and not on it. when measuring the logs. 
All logs should be straight. If a sweep occurs in a tree, cut in the 
sweep. If a cut pinches, cut a double length log and get the teamster 
to pull it out to where it can be sawed without " pinching/' If there 
is a break, cut up to the break and start your next log on the other 
side of it. If a crotch is in the tree, cut out the crotch, but don't 
waste any lumber in doing it. If a felled tree balances on a knoll 
or ,on another tree, prop the light end. If part of the bole is liniby 
and part is smooth, have as much of the smooth portion as possible 
