The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1911-09-14

the old.t,me lunbermen Of Maine and Michi.
gan. Instead, these Pacific coast fellows con-
struct shelf on the side of the tree to be
fallad and at such a height that the cropping
and saving is done at point at least ten or
twelve feet above ground The result is, OF
course. to leave a huge stump containing
enough material to BULL a small house. The
lumbermen justify their action by the tradi'
ton that the swell at the base Of one OF
these big trees is of inferior material--pre-
sumably too poor to bother with. However.
most of the expert foresters OF the country
saw that this is not true. at least not In the
majority Of cases and that this method Of
mutilating timber in the cutting is a flag
rantly wastefu one.
One of the most seriously wasteful methods
NJ numbering in vogue in the United States
looked at from the standpoint OF future gener-
ations-is the practice of taking from forest
annually an amount of lumber Tar In excess
of new growth Obviously this will serve to
either speedily wipe out forest or else 10
render 1t of little value for many years u
come. whereas it might be made to serve as
q regular and permanent source OF income
Indeed this plan OF intelligent harvesting OF
the timber with reference to the supply OF 1u-
ture years is what rem ders so steadily profit
able the admirably con Quoted forests OF Ger
many and Switzerland.
OF course the American lumberman is en-
gagged in logging as a source OF hvenhoou anu
his main defense against every charge Oh
wastefu numbering is that there is SO nucn
timber in proportion to the population that IL
does not pay, as a business proposltlon, 10
take any more than the better part OF eacn
tree felled UNREASONABLE there is gram
of truth in this, provided ZIMMERMAN 10
thinking only of prosperity in the present gen
hut nj the time there is muCu
waste in numbering that is not only unneces-
sorry hut is actually costly to the lumberman
himself. However, conservative numbering is
making Roadway and is supplanting the old
wasteful methods in many sections OF the
country. The new ideas of conservative lum-
herring are based on three principles. First
the forest is treated as working capital the
nurpose OF which is to produce successive
crops Second systematic working plan 10
followed in harvesting the forest crop. THIRD
the work in the woods is carried on in sucn
manner as to leave the standing trees and
the young growth as nearly unframed by the
numbering as is possible. In the actual oper
atoms Of tree telling the new policy calls Tor
greater care, so that no tree trunk may Do
split or broken in falling and likewise are
there precautions so that the bark OF valuable
standing trees will not be rubbed OF torn by
the tree trunks that are being "skidded' out
of the forest Finally ban has been placed
on the wasteful practice of cutting promising
young trees for corduroy or skids simply De-
cause these happen to be convenient and are
straight. Under the old plan the waste does
not end when log gets to the saw mill.
There is a further loss of nearly all the slabs
and edgings and all the sawdust not used Tor
fuel. SO that it is doubtful If more than half
of the cubic contents of the standing tree is
finally used.