18 BULLETIN 440, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 
FROM STUMP TO YARD. 
After felling and bucking, the logs are collected and taken from 
where they lie in the woods to a co mm on point from which they 
are transported to the mill. This common point, or yard, is, in the 
case of steam logging, at the yarding engine, which may be on a 
chute, or roading trail, or at a railroad landing. In horse logging 
the yarding may be terminated at a chute, at a railroad landing, or 
at a loading point for trucks. In addition to being the first step in 
log transportation, this is the shortest from the standpoint of dis- 
tance covered. In the California pine region three methods are in 
vogue, namely, horse skidding, big-wheel yarding, and donkey 
yarding. Overhead yarding is becoming established as a fourth. 
HORSE SKIDDING. 
The simplest method of yarding logs in California is dragging or 
snaking them along the ground with one or more horses. Especially 
in the more open yellow and Jeffrey pine stands this method is com- 
monly employed at small mills for delivering the logs to horse chutes 
or trucks. Ordinarily, no roads or other improvements are neces- 
sary, it being simpler to go around obstacles. The logs are always 
bucked in the woods into short lengths, and usually hauled singly. 
Equipment. — The skidding teams range from 2 to 6 horses each, 
depending upon the distance and the size of the loads. Only heavy 
work horses costing about $250 each are satisfactory. Such horses 
average about four or five seasons hi the woods; and though some 
can be sold for a trifle at the end of that period, the annual deprecia- 
tion is from 20 to 25 per cent, depending upon the severity of condi- 
tions. Allowing for 150 working days, the daily depreciation on a 
horse is estimated at from 38 to 40 cents. To this amount must be 
added from 75 to 85 cents per day for care and feeding, and about 8 
cents for shoeing. A slight additional cost occurs in winter pasturage 
and in delivery to and from pasture. Thus the average daily cost of 
horse labor is about $1.40 per horse. 
A set of logging harness for two horses costs from $50 to $60. The 
remaining necessary equipment consists of a pair of spreaders for each 
span and a heavy draft chain to extend from the log to the leaders. 
This chain may be passed around one end of the log and fastened with 
a grabhook, or it may be attached to a short chain fastened to the 
log with so-called grabs or dogs. In small timber tongs may be used 
to hitch a single team to the logs. Logs are sometimes fastened 
together into trails of two by means of a short chain with grabs on 
either end. 
Doubletrees or spreaders cost about $4 per pair, if of wood; and $8 
per pan, if of steel. The net cost of horse skidding tongs is about 
