The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-13
MULTIPLE TIMBER
HARVEST IS URGED
K. w. Graeber Advocates Sys.
tenn That Makes Waste
Timber Profitable

"A oHe-pTOuuct TIMBER farmer puts
himself in the position of any other
one-crop farmer, and his chances for
success r very similar, says R. W.
Graeber, forestry specialist Of the
State college Extension service.
when lumb alone is the har.
vest, the ~by-products such as pulp.
wood and firewood are allowed to
waste. When all of the timber is
converted to either pulpwood or fl. e.
WOOD, it all goes as a low-priced
product. In either case there is a
loss. There should be diversified
ton, just as there should be a bal
ance between livestock, poultry, for
estry and row crops on the farm"
Graeber declared.
The Extension forester recon
mends a multiple harvest" to con-
vert waste timber to profit. HI de-
scribed the results of recent field
meetings in Chatham, Harnett and
Lee counties as conclusive proof
that lumber (saw logs), poles, pulp
wood and firewood can be taken
from a single tract Of timber, and
what's more, there can be left a
good stand Of choice trees upon
which future growth can be made.
1.-THE demonstrations in the three
counties were two-fold," Graeber
stated. 'They showed the value of a
multiple harvest, and a ~selective har-
vest"
Many Cooperate In Meetings
Cooperating in the field meetings
were county farm agents, vocational
teachers. J. W. Gillian, timber oper-
ator of Sanford; individual land and
timber owners, the state division of
forestry, the forester of the Seaboard
railroad, representatives of pulp and
paper companies, pole and pilirg
buyers, creosoting companies, lum-
| bermen, and others, as we'll as the
State college Extension forestry Of
flee.
A one-acre plot of mixed shortleaf
and loblolly pines on the Borden es-
tate near Moncure was selected for
one of these demopstrations. The
pines were of an uneven age, many
of them being IL to 16 inches in
diameter at breast height. Graeber
commented that this is the type OF
a timber stand that the average lum'
herman thinks is ready for a clear.
cut harvest.
In the demonstration, the follow
ing types of trees were marked for
cutting: All pines showing disease,
crooks, small stunted crowns, me
chanical damage, or other evidence
to indicate little OF no future
growth; pines that had reached the
end Of their most rapid growth: a
few choice trees to relieve crowding
Of equally as good or better trees;
and all Gull hardwood that would lin
terfere with reproduction.
Mr.. Gillian, a timber operator who
handles lumber, poles, piling, pulp
wood, and firewood purchased the
marked trees at the following stump
age prices: Saw logs, SIS per thou
sand board feet; %pulpwood, 81 per
unit (16O cubic feet); and firewood,
SO cents per cord. The harvest and
income to the owner from the one
acre plot was SIS from the saw logs.
81 from the pulpwood, and SO from
the firewood, a total of $25.
Growing Stock Left
"But this was not a clear cut"
Graeber emphasized. "The growing
stock left on the tract in
cluded 124 pines ranging from 6 to
81 inches in diameter at breast
hei hit. They scaled SITS board feet,
and a number of smaller pines and
some hardwoods, together with the
tops of the better pines, r esti-
mated at z cords.
"This amount of capital or grow
ing stock will make use of the plant
food and moisture, as it becomes
available each year. A conservative
estimate of the future growth of this
timber would be 500 board feet per
acre per year. Thus, in 10 years
another harvest of approximately
5000 board feet can be taken and
still leave the capital or growing
stock intact"
The specialist said another of
these demonstrations gave a harvest
of II units of pulpwood and 4 cords
Of firewood per acre, making a per
acre cash return Of SIG to the own
ler and leaving 1852 trees as growing
capital. A third project gave a har-
vest of II utility poles and 6.10 units
of pulpwood per acre.
In conclusion, Graeber said: ga
multiple harvest, selectively taken,
makes timber-growing a possible,
practical, permanent, profitable in.
dustry. 1t affords a means of con.
verting the by-products into profit"
Better Mart Methods
Help Berry Growers