SMALL SAWMILLS, THEIR EQUIPMENT, ETC. Si 
PILING LUMBER. 
Every pile of lumber should rest on three strong horizontal ground 
sills. The front sill should be higher than the middle and back sills- 
The front of the pile should be given an overhanging '•batter*' to 
protect it from the rain. The usual pitch is 1 foot to 10. The tiers 
of boards are kept apart by three or four well-seasoned crosspieces 
called " sticks " sawed about 1 inch square and placed directly over 
one another in the tiers. The usual width of a pile is from 6 to 10 
feet, and the distance between piles ought to be 3 feet. Each pile 
must contain equal lengths, as " overlaps " are sure to get spoiled. 
A sufficient air chamber should be left in the center of the pile so 
that the stock may dry rapidly. When fresh-sawed lumber is 
allowed to touch, discoloration of the portions touching is sure to 
ensue. Each pile should have a roof 12 inches high in front and 
6 inches high in the back, projecting on all sides. In order to pre- 
vent end cracks, the sticking should be placed exactly at the ends 
and slightly projecting over them. Inch boards and planks should 
be handled carefully when being piled or loaded on wagons. If 
slammed down violently, as is the custom, end checks are likely to 
develop into cracks or splits which spoil the grade of the piece. 
A 2-acre yard or piling space is necessary for a small mill carrying 
50,000 board feet in stock. Select good level ground for your lumber 
yard and see that the lumber is neatly piled according to size and 
grade. You will get more for your lumber if you can show it to a 
customer in this condition than where it is all dumped in a heap. 
Remember that the mill run is ordinarily sold at a loss to the mill- 
man, as the buyer grades it according to the lowest quality in the 
whole pile and not according to the high grades which, in properly 
piled stock, would be sold separately and at higher prices. 
FIRE PROTECTION. 
There is little use in going to the expense of putting up a mill if 
it is allowed to burn down. Fire is an ever-present clanger. For 
writing a policy on the ordinary small mill fire insurance companies 
charge a premium equivalent to 20 per cent of the mill's value, which 
makes the expense of insurance prohibitive in most cases. It is up 
to the owner, then, to provide fire protection. This can be clone by 
installing liquid chemical extinguishers or dry chemical extinguish- 
ers or water hose that can be attached to the boiler. Liquid chemical 
extinguishers may freeze in winter, and dry chemical extinguishers 
are expensive. The most practical equipment for a portable mill 
is water hose, and in the following table is given the capacity of such 
hose at various pressures : 
