LUMBERING IN PINE REGION OF CALIFORNIA. 11 
market conditions. Some operators cut the best white fir trees into 
logs and the remainder, including tops, into engine wood or pulp 
wood. An operator whose utilization is of the best type cuts pine 
down to a 15-inch and fir to a 16-inch diameter on the stump, stumps 
being cut from 24 to 28 inches high. He cuts smooth pine tops down 
to 8 inches, smooth fir to 10 inches, and rough tops to 12 and 14 
inches. On ordinary logs he allows 4 inches for trimming; and on 
logs over 4 feet in diameter, 6 inches. He cuts the area clean. 
The minimum log length is usually 12 feet, though on several oper- 
ations valuable pine logs are taken down to 10 feet. Logs of poor 
quality are left in the woods if 50 per cent defective, and often if 
only 40 per cent defective; but, on the other hand, many firms log 
pine butts or clear logs which are not 25 per cent sound. 
The utilization on National Forest timber sale areas is commonly 
more intensive. Timber sale contracts provide that stumps be cut 
not exceeding 18 inches in height and that tops be utilized down to 
8 or 10 inches when smooth. The minimum log length is generally 
10 feet, though in some instances 8 feet is specified for sugar and 
yellow pine. Pine logs 33 J per cent and fir logs 50 per cent sound 
are considered merchantable. The young growing timber, from 20 
to 30 per cent of the volume of the stand above 12 inches in diameter, 
remains uncut after logging. 
In ordinary sawing practice the shortest board made is 10 feet 
and the narrowest width is 4 inches. However, the mills that have 
box or door factories resaw slabs to obtain suitable short pieces. 
Clear edgings are utilized for lath, and car strips. Band saws com- 
monly cut two-sixteenth inch or three-sixteenth inch kerf; solid 
tooth circular saws, four-sixteenth inch; and inserted tooth circular 
saws, five-sixteenth inch. Most of the clear pine lumber is cut in 1, 
1J, and 2 inch stock, and an extra thickness of from one-sixteenth 
to one-eighth inch is allowed on each board for shrinkage. Shop 
lumber is 1J and 2 inches in thickness, the lj-inch stock being sawed 
l-J-J or lfj inches thick in coarse-grained timber. Most box lumber 
is sawed 1| inches thick, though both 1-inch and 2-inch box is cut. 
The allowance for shrinkage is the same as in shop. Common lum- 
ber is cut in inch stuff, one-eighth inch full. In addition an extra 
width of from one-eighth to one-half inch is allowed on each board to 
provide for shrinkage. Fir lumber is usually cut without extra al- 
lowance in thickness or width. 
