The Ordway new era., 1919-11-21


tPrepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
A source of regular income lying at
the door of many farmer. but too
often neglected. is the farm woodland.
With increasing scarcity of lumber,
and with excellent prices now being
offered for forest products. proper care
of the wooded area on the farm will
amply repay the farmer.
To secure n fair price for this tim
ber the owner should know how much
material he has and for what purposes
IT is best adapted. The first thing for
him to do, according to the forest serv-
Zee of the United States department
of agriculture Is to find out how much
timber of each kind the woodland con-
1ains, what products 1t will yield, and
what is its general condition and quail
fly.
I II the wooded area is small, 1t will
be best to measure each tree separate
Iy The diameter should be measured
at about Az feet above ground with
calipers made for the purpose.
Heights should be carefully estimated,
or measured with some sort of height
Instrument to the first large limbs.
Knowing the diameter and height. the
amount of timber in board feet in each
tree can be found by the use of volume
tables. Such tables are included in
Farmers Bulletin rs, Measuring and
Marketing Wood-lot Products. which
will be sent free on application to the
department of agriculture. The guam
tity of cOrdwood tract will yield can
hardly be estimated by an inexperi-
enced person. Sales of such material
will usually have to be made on the
basis of actual cut.
Measuring on a Large Tract.
II the woodland is large 1t will, of
course, seldom be possible to measure
each tree separately. In such cases
every tree may be measured on paral-
iel strips &C feet wide running through
the tract. Every 660 feet in length Of
such strips comprises an acre. Aver
aging all the acres comprised in the
strips and multiplying by the total
acreage of the tract gives the total
stand. The strips should include at
least 10 per cent of the woodland.
Proper allowance must also be made
for defective timber. Dead trees, ex-
cept those killed by fire or other out
side agencies, are apt to be very de-
fective and should be culled. When the
tract is exceptionally large, 1t may
pay to employ professional "cruiser"
to estimate the timber.
If the owner depends altogether up
on local industries to buy his product.
he is likely to find his market extreme
iy limited. Some products, such as
crossties and fuel wood, have to be sold
locally; 1t would not pay to transport
them far. But other products, among
them tan bark, can be shipped $50
miles. and still others, like walnut
timber for gunstocks, can be shipped
almost any distance.
Railroads Large Purchasers.
Railroads are the largest purchasers
of crossties. Any station agent will
furnish Information concerning speci-
1ications and prices. Electric railways
IN cities and towns also use ties. but
unless the distance to town is short
IL will not pay to ship them. Electric
interurban lines offer the same OPP
portunity for disposing of ties us do
the steam roads. Telegraph and tel
ephone companies are always on the
market for poles. Electric power and
electric railway companies also use
poles.
The market for piling is not very
extensive, but railroads, large construc-
ton firms, and docking companies pur-
chase considerable quantities. Piling
timbers, which must be straight and
tong, bring good prices. Mines are
large users of timber.
Sawmills, veneer mills, and fruit and
vegetable package factories offer a
market for the particular kinds and
qualities of the woods they handle.
These Industries buy their material in
Cog form. and all the farmer needs to
do is cut and deliver his timber in the
rough to the mill. Veneer logs must
be of good quality and usually 16
inches and over in diameter. Selected
stock brings high price.
The forest service has prepared bull
letins on the wood-using Industries of
n number of states which tell the uses
to which various woods are put and
the quantity used annually for each
purpose.
The forest service has prepared
bulletins on the wood-using Industries
OF a number of states which tell the
uses to which various woods are put
and the quantity used annually for
each purpose. A list Of these bulle-
etr~ and information as to how to pro-