East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-01-13

The following bulletin has just been
sent out by the forestry department
on the subject Of economy in the uses
OF timber in all manufacturing lines.
The bulletin says:
The men OF no industry recognize
the Importance of practicing econo-
my in the utilization OF product more
than the lumbermen OF this country.
Such has not always been the case.
but the rapid depletion OF the forests
during the past decade and the con-
sequent advance in stumpage prices
has made necessary the reduction Of
waste in order to insure the prosperi-
ty of the business So far, aside
from reducing waste In the woods,
practically all efforts have been d.
rected to better utilization OF the log
Of the tree through the Introduction
OF machinery which works up the
product with less waste.
Lumbermen have for years been
perfecting their machinery so as to
AC0hNC NiO hooNO III
logs into lumber. The old-fashioned,
vertical, stiff-back saws which were
operated by water power made a cut
almost half an inch wide. Then came
the circular saws, which greatly in
creased the speed of saving, and re-
duced the waste in kerf These have
now been supplemented by modern
band saws, which in some cases make
a cut Of not more than one-eighth or
an inch wide, and revolves with tre-
mendous speed. With the saw, all Of
the other parts of mill machinery
have shown marked improvement.
This condition has been brought
about by the ever increasing demand
for greater economy and cheaper and
quicker methods OF manufacture.
Waste in numbering has always been
an important consideration, but has
become far more so of late on account
of the very rapid depletion of the for
ests. Competition has also greatly in
creased until 1t is only those lumber
men who have kept pace with modern
that are able to operate
with success.
These changed conditions have
revolutionized the logging |
methods of several Of the largest
lumber companies in the south. In
stead of Telling the trees and swing
ing It into logs in the woods, they
simply trim off the branches, and haul
In the whole tree. 1t is then thrown |
into a log pond, picked up on endless
chains, and sawed into logs Of any
desired length. One concern in the |
south with which the forest service
has been cooperating has built sep
arate mill for this purpose. The
savings in the actual merchantable |
contents and cost of manufacture |
are considerable, and more than pay
for the initial and upkeep costs of the
mill.
Another feature OF the business
which is just beginning to be thor
,ughly appreciated is the manufacture
,f the logs of different sizes into
definite products. Thus, where for
merely boards were sawed from logs
If any diameter, many lumbermen are
low beginning to use only the larger
ogs for this purpose. The smaller
ogs are sawed into those commodi-
les which require little handling and
,ost to manufacture, such as posts,
,oles, railroad ties, etc.
Railroad companies want heart
and leaf pine for their cross-ties. and
n the past have had little difficulty
n getting them. Now however,
many lumbermen absolutely refuse to
urnish them. but take the logs of this
Iuality and saw them into more valu-
bile grades of lumber.
Heart longleaf pine. ties are likely
therefore,, to go out of use, and their
,lace be taken by the ties sawed from
mall trees and surfaced on two sides
My. Such ties are admirably adapt
d to preservative treatment, because
hey are entirely surrounded by sap
vood, and this readily absorbs preser-
atives.