The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-09-01

the old-time lumbermen Of Maine and Michi-
gan. Instead, these Pacific coast fellows con-
struct shelf on the side OF the tree to be
felled and at such height that the chopping
and saving is done at a point at least ten
twelve feet above ground. The result is, OF
course TO leave a huge stump containing
enough material to bull id 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
say 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 wasteful one.
One of the most seriously wasteful methods
OF 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 far in excess
of new growth obviously this will serve to
either speedily wipe out a forest or else 10
render It OF little value for many years 10
come, whereas It might be made TO serve as
a regular and permanent source OF income.
Indeed this plan Of intelligent harvesting OF
the timber with reference to the supply or tu-
ture years is what renders so steadily profit
able the admirably con Quoted torests OF GeT-
many and Switzerland.
gagged in logging as a source of livelihood and
his main defense against every charge or
vasteful numbering is that there is so much
timber in proportion to the population that II
does not pay as a business proposition, TO
take any more than the better part OF eacn
tree felled UNREASONABLE there is a grain
Of truth in this, provided lumberman Is
thinking only of prosperity In the present gem
grafton but at the same time there is much
waste in numbering that is not only unneces'
sarv but is actually costly TO the lumberman
himself However, conservative numbering Is
making headway and is supplanting the old
wasteful methods in many sections OF the
country The new ideas of conservative lum-
bering are based on three principles. First
the forest is treated as a working capital the
purpose OF which is 10 produce successive
crops Second a systematic working plan Is
followed I'm harvesting the forest crop. Third,
the work In the woods is carried on in such
manner as TO leave the standing trees and
the young growth as nearly unharmed by the
numbering as is possible. In the actual oper-
ations Of tree telling the new policy calls for
greater care so that tree trunk may be
split or broken in falling and likewise are
there precautions that the bark OF valuable
standing trees will not be rubbed or torn by
the tree trunks that are being "skdded" out
OF the forest. Finally a ban has been placed
on the wasteful practice Of cutting promising
young trees for corduroy or skids simply be-
cause these happen TO be convenient and are
straight Under the old plan the waste does
not end when a log gets 20 the saw mill
There is a. further loss OF nearly all the slabs
and edgings and all the sawdust not used for
fuel so that It is doubtful II more than half
of the cubic contents Of the standing tree is
finally used.