The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-12-13
IMPORTANCE OF HEmLock
100000 Million Feet Cut in Yer
mont During 1909.

According to report of the United
States Forest Service for 1909 the
average annual lumber cut in Yer
mont is 351,CGG,GG0 board feet, 1913,
co., 900 of which are spruce and Co.,
5000. hemlock. These two species
together, therefore, constitute over
| half the present lumber output.
A detailed discussion made by
STATE Forester Halves a year ago of
the management of white pine for
ests. a type which is at present not
extensive in Vermont, but which will
De of increasing value as time goes
on and which should always be en-
outraged A matter of more immed-
late importance in Vermont is the
| management of spruce forests, such
I as must always cover the greater
| part of her mountain areas.
The United "4~t~e Forest Service
has long been securing data on
spruce and the results of its studies
shortly to be published, will furnish
the basis for a bulletin on the man
agement of spruce Pending the is
suance of these data it seems worth
while at this time to devote public
attention to hemlock, because of its
present importance in VermOnt's lum
her business and of the questions
concerning management which arise.
Hemlock occurs throughout Yer
mont from the northern boundary to
the Massachusetts line, being formed
in the valleys and on the mountain
slopes, although it does not ascend
the mountains as high as does the
spruce. Neither is it characteristic
at the plains as is the pine. 1t pre-
fers the lower slopes of the moan
tains and the sides of cool ravines.
Hemlock does not occur here in pure
forests and, consequently, is nowhere
of prime importance.
1t is usually found mixed with such
trees as spruce and Eastwood on the
sleeper rocky slopes, with birch, ma
pie and beech on the richer soils,
and with pine In the Connecticut and
'Champlain valleys. 1t is now being
Numbered in many forests where the
off and the hemlock left.
Most Vermont hemlock is old
growth that has escaped cutting eth
er because of the inferiority of the
lumber or its inaccessibility. Hem
lock is very tolerant of shade and
will persist under dense cover, max
ing almost no growth where other
species would die. On this account
small size is no indication of youth,
many suppressed trees not over
foot in diameter being 200 years old.
Hemlock lumber is coarse grained
and is principally used for dimension
material the frames for buildings,
planks Tor bridges, etc Considerable
quantities are also made into boards,
part of which are planed and match
ed. II is used in the making of but
ter boxes in Vermont.
Hemlock logs delivered at the mills
bring from 81 to S12 per thousand
board feet. Probably 10 an average
price The sawed lumber f. o. b. car
at the mill brings from SIG to SIS per
thousand board feet, a little less than
is paid for the same grade of spruce.
At SO for logs at the mill it is clear
that only under the most favorable
circumstances and at points conven-
lent to the mill, is it possible to real
ize SIS per thousand stumpage on hem
lock In the majority of cases 81 may
be considered fair stumpage price.
Hemlock bark was in great demand
in the past. In some parts of the
country trees were cut and peeled for
their bark alone, and the logs left to
rot in the woods. Substitutes for bark
for tanning purposes, especially the
extracts from South America, have
largely taken its place, and relatively
lumber is now of more Importance.
In some of the more inaccessible
sections of Vermont hemlock bark is
not utilized, but in most lumber oper-
atoms the hemlock is cut in the early
summer when it can be easily peeled,
and the bark is shipped either to Bos
ton or Morrisville. Bark is bought
by the cord. but on the basis OF a
cord being equivalent to 2,240 pounds
The price paid usually varies from
Sc 10 81 per cord (. o. b. the car, or
from 81 to So delivered. the average
price f. o. b. being probably So $50.
Large quantities of bark are shipped
annually to Morrisville from Newport
Lyndon, Montpelier, Barre, Middle
sex. Waterbury, Stowe, Bethel, Brad
ford and points as far south as White
River Junction and as far north as
Sherbrooke. p Q.
It costs from 81 to SO a cord to cut
hemlock trees and peel and pile the
bark. Probably $3.50 is an average
cost On a good down hill road two
cords of bark can be hauled to load
80 that the cost of hauling varies
from about So for five mile haul to
| $3.50 for an eight mile haul. 1t costs
about rs cents cord to car the bark.
Evidently the cost of the bark f. o.
b. the car may easily range from s4.-
SO to IS per cord. leaving a stumpage
value to the owner, acting as his own
4 onaratOr VARYING from, notbipg IN 60