/ (rs ( 1506 THE PUBLIC DOMAIN COMMISSION Eee UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN CO-OPERATION WITH SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN FARMS Torrst EXAMINER, ForEST SERVICE. JULY 10, 1915. LANSING, MICHIGAN WYNKOOP HALLENBECK CRAWFORD CO., STATE PRINTERS By E. H. FROTHINGHAM, 1916 i ae SSR: : UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE PUBLIC DOMAIN COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS By E* H¥¥¥ROTHINGHAM, lorREST EXAMINER, FOREST SERVICE. JULY 10, 1915. LANSING, MICHIGAN WYNKOOP HALLENBECK CRAWFORD CO., STATE PRINTERS 1916 D,. OF Ds NOV 21 1916 To the Farmers of Michigan: It is always a pleasure for the Public Domain Commission to co- operate with any of the United States departments in giving to the people of this State information which will be of benefit to them. This publication entitled “Selling Woodlot Products on Michigan Farms” is the result of such cooperation, and we feel that the data which has been so carefully gathered and intelligently compiled by the Forest Ser- vice of the United States Department of Agriculture will be of untold value to the farmers of Michigan, not only in advising them as to how best to harvest and dispose of the products of their woodlots, but in stimu- lating a greater desire for larger and better woodlots. Very respectfully yours, JUNIUS E. BEAL, ALFRED J. DOHERTY, ORAMEL B. FULLER, FRED L. KEELER, 7 WILLIAM KELLY, COLEMAN C. VAUGHAN, Members of the Public Domain Commission. ‘uoTJONpoId pooM pur pIvIdIO dy} 01 UOTIAJOIg :asodind s[qnop vw SuUIAIaS JO[POOM VW SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS CONTENTS Page MINMOSEIOSE MCRD GEIT viccn a onevene Goats. < arisvai stdvw cou « gw s G.0+ Dogia Gs ales © a2 rade’ wlerSpm alesse elie p «dure ate 7 hel woodlomsituation in MiChiean..< sc. cc ccc Soe se eos cee od bel ve eles eye en eee ee 7 HETGOmt OMEMWMOOULOtRDLOCGen a seis ages fae scele a sferale « s paaiiece aia pis ee eh lata. oehebea)s dine 4.9228 Bee 8 Laken ewWOOCLOL PROUUGCUS . ma Soklaus BAD abaeg BARS paves 33 SVabhoysybayes ay epechl kg Ot Koleos siyhs tes ence ere ee aera 33 Iow to prevent the deterioration of cut woodlot products.........0. 00.00.0000 ce eee 38 ome of the principal uses of the common woodlot trees........... 00.00.00 ccc 39 Yirectory of Michigan firms which buy wood products “‘in the rough”. ..................... 40 7D TES Cs Peo econ arss Ooi eye take icon Rhee Rieen Stett ool, aye) aed Stak gh Gomes eahy fee deo - 47 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS PURPOSE OF THE BULLETIN One of the essentials of successful farming is to know how, when, and where to market crops. Farmers are all deeply interested in this; yet when it comes to selling wood products, most of them are at such a disadvantage through ignorance of markets and methods of estimating and selling, that they lose sometimes two-thirds the value of their timber. Many Michigan woodlots still contain timber which represents the growth of a century. No farmer should let this valuable possession pass from him “for a song.” The advantage to be gained through knowledge of marketing timber is best shown by an actual example. An 80-acre farm in south central Michigan had on it a 10-acre woodlot containing about 48,000 board feet of basswood and about 12,000 feet each of hard maple, soft maple, red oak, soft elm, ash, and beech. The trees were overmature, many of them were hollow, and the owner knew he ought to “sell them to save them.” Timber on an adjacent 10 acres had previously been sold for $100 per acre, or a total of $1,000. Instead of selling on the first bid made, the owner, acting on the advice of an expert attached to a nearby forestry school, wrote to a number of wood-using firms in different cities, from some of whom, after examination of his timber, he secured bids on the different species in his woodlot. As a result of his bargaining he received stumpage values amounting, in the aggregate, to nearly $2,000. For his red oak, bought for quarter-sawing by a firm outside the State, he re- ceived $21 per 1,000 board feet. His other trees were purchased by a veneer company, the basswood returning $19 per 1,000 board feet, ash $16, elm and hard maple $14, soft maple and beech $12. Few farmers are so situated as to be able to secure the assistance of capable, impartial advisors; and this bulletin is an attempt to supply the deficiency by acquainting them with the uses of different kinds of woodlot timber, the location of some of the principal Michigan markets, and the more important details in the sale of the products. THE WOODLOT SITUATION IN MICHIGAN. Michigan farms which cut woodlot products in 1910 (43.7 per cent of all the farms) sold on an average about $50 worth apiece and consumed about the same amount.* The total value for the State was over $7,900,- 000 (not including maple sugar), or about one-twentieth of the aggregate income from all Michigan crops. The total area of Michigan farm wood- lots is nearly three million acres, which is 15.5 per cent of the total farm area. Woodlots will therefore continue for some time to be important sources of income to the State and to the farms on which they exist. *Bureau of Census Reports. 8 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. In spite of this evident importance to the State, woodlots are being cleared at a rate which would threaten their virtual extinction if con- tinued for the next half century. In the 30 years between 1880 and 1910 the decrease was over 11% million acres, or at a rate of more than 1 per cent per year, so that while in 1880 the average area of woodland on each farm was about 29 acres, in 1910 it was only 14 acres. This process of clearing was inevitable and perfectly natural wherever it opened up good tillable soils for cultivation. On poorer soils financial necessity often compelled farmers to cut their timber. There has, in fact, been little or no inducement to hold salable timber or even to protect and care for young growth for the uncertain value it might have 40 or 50 years in the future. The only efficient means of stemming the tide of forest destruction seems to be organized community or State effort directed toward pro- moting the private holding of woodlots on poor lands by equitable tax laws or to establishing community or State forests by the purchase of existing woodlots or of land which should be in woods. The State is already providing for future forest growth through the holding of lands which have reverted for taxes. It is probable that a more general appreci- ation of the value of woodlots on poorer soils would go a long way toward perpetuating them. The best way of bringing this home to the farmers is to give them the information necessary to get the highest returns from their salable wood products. THE COMMON WOODLOT TREES. In general, oaks and pines are the commonest species in woodlots on dry, sandy soils. The pines—white, Norway, and jack,—are unim- portant or entirely lacking south of an east and west line drawn through about the middle of the lower peninsula. The oaks are most important south of this line, though some small species grow abundantly on sandy lands to the north of it. On heavier or moister soils throughout the State, maples, birches, elms, and basswood, and, in the north, hemlock are the species which predominate in the majority of the woodlots. In the swamps, tamarack is found throughout the State, while arborvitae (white cedar) and a little black spruce occur in the North. On cut-over and burned lands in the North, aspen and sometimes paper birch often form dense thickets, usually too small to be of any immediate value, but sometimes big enough to supply excelsior stock, box lumber, ete. These are the prevailing species, but there are others which, though less abundant, may be much more valuable, among them white ash, black walnut, butternut, hickory, and (very sparingly in the South) yellow poplar. Merchantable trees of these species are becoming very scarce. They are eagerly sought out by buyers for special industries; and the farmer who owns good trees may, in prosperous times, expect good prices for them, even when at a considerable distance from the point of utilization. MARKETING WOODLOT PRODUCTS. The woodlot owner should not allow valuable trees to deteriorate on his hands, but he should fully satisfy himself that the deterioration has actually started before accepting a low bid for the timber. Even if signs of damage are found it should be remembered that timber does not ‘PH | BRAMCH ® | HILL SBA = 8 ~ ” e CASS@ J 0% ee 0 10 20 30 40 50 fre r A) i ee ate eee FARM WOODLOT AREA OF * : MICHIGAN IN 1880,BY COUNTIES, | H ACCORDING TO THE IOCENSUS EACH DOT REPRESENTS 5000 ACRES SCALE-MILES —— aoe oO WH 20 30 40 50 J 4 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 9 “go back” very rapidly except when the process is already far advanced. When the signs of decay are unmistakable, therefore, a postponement of the cutting for a year or two can usually be made with safety, so as to allow a poor market to “pick up,” or in order to make further in- quiries into the manner of disposal. Young, thrifty timber should be held as long as possible. It should not be sold unless the money or the land is urgently needed, or unless the owner is sure that an exceptional price is being offered for it. There is little risk in holding good, sound, young or medium-sized timber. It is yearly increasing in amount and value; and if it is cut and sold too early, a sacrifice is involved. Woodlot sales may include the whole or the greater part of the stand, or may take only selected trees here and there. In the former case, a good market for each kind of material, including the cordwood, should be found. The case mentioned on page 7 illustrates how several dif- ferent markets can be found for the different trees in a given woodlot. When only certain kinds of material are to be sold from the woodlot and the rest of the timber is to be left standing, the owner should take care not to injure the woodlot any more than is unavoidable through haphazard selection of the trees to be taken out. Sometimes it is even best not to permit the removal of all of the salable trees, when to do this would leave the stand ragged and would expose large patches of soil to sun and drying winds. Before culling the woodlot, it is a good plan for the farmer to consult the State Forester or some other person experienced in this work, or to obtain suggestions from one of the many publications relating to the care of forests. One such publication is U. S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin 711, “The Care and Improvement of the Woodlot” by C. R. Tillotson, which can be obtained free of charge on application to the Forester, Forest Service, Washing- ton: C. Assuming that the farmer does not own a portable mill and wishes to secure the best possible return for his rough products, the steps which he will take are (1) to size up the woodlot and determine the kinds, quantities, and qualities of the salable trees; (2) to choose the markets which, considering prices and costs of shipping, will give the best re- turns for the material; and (3) to arrange for and conduct the sale. Sizing up the Woodlot Every woodlot owner should have a good general idea of what he has in his woodlot, whether he intends to sell it at once or not. In writing to dealers for bids or in advertising timber for sale, it is necessary to state what the kinds are, and in general the amounts, sizes, and quali- ties of each kind. This information should be explicit as to the number and size of each form of product, such as logs, poles, piling, cross-ties, bolts, cordwood, ete. A general idea of the quality of the product should also be given; this is especially important where the timber is fit for veneer, quarter-sawing, or other high grade uses. The units in which timber is usually estimated are the board foot, the cord, and the piece. It is not hard to tell how much a tree contains of the products sold by the piece; but where logs are to be sold by board measure their contents, especially in the standing tree, are more diffi- cult to estimate. Furthermore, it is hard to tell how much to deduct from the contents and quality of logs for hidden defects. If the timber 10 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. is to be sold by the log, at fixed prices per thousand board feet or other unit, no very precise estimate is necessary; but if it is to be sold “by the lot” or by “acreage,” the owner should protect himself by making as care- ful an estimate as possible. A simple and practical method of woodlot stocktaking is given in the next few pages of this bulletin. The main steps are as follows: estimate the top-end diameters and lengths of all the possible logs which the woodlot, or a measured sample of it, contains, recording the sizes and numbers separately for each species;* add up separately the number of logs of each species, each diameter, and each length;* deduct an inch or two from the diameter to eliminate the bark thickness (logs are always scaled inside the bark) ; and multiply the number of logs in each of the totals by the lumber volume for a log of the same diameter and length, to be found in either Table 6 or Table 7. While close results in estimating can not be expected without con- siderable experience, an untrained observer can, with ordinary care, secure figures reasonably close to the actual contents of the stand. In small woodlots every tree may be sized up separately; in larger ones the trees on a known portion of the tract can be measured, and the vol- ume of the whole stand found by multiplying the volume of the logs on the sample by the number of times the sample is contained in the whole area. This method is, of course, less accurate than the measurement of all the trees, and care must be taken that the sample is an average one. The bigger the sample the more accurate the results, especially when the stand contains a number of different kinds of trees in mixture; in any case, at least a quarter of the stand should be actually gone over, tree by tree. To be sure of securing an average, it is a good plan to esti- mate a number of scattered samples in different parts of the tract, using eare not to place them where the timber is either heavier or lighter than the average. The samples can be either strips, squares, or circles of known area. The strip and the circle are usually the most convenient forms. : kamen 20 Maple, hard, No. 2 common and better, 1 inch lumber. ........00.000 000 ccc ccc cece cece eee eee ueaees 22 Maple. ‘soft, Ists‘and 2nds; 2-35 inch plank. ¢.i60s silva ssc cee cwien ce awewedleecs seshededeceadactanssenreeal 25 Maple, soft, No. 1 common, 3-33 inch plank.............. sherasayy Balen aOR ythlenes Men alee haa eee eee 20 Maple, soft, No. 2 common and better, 1 inch lumber... 2.000.000 00 ccc cee cence eee eeeueeees 23 Basswood, No. 2 common and better, 1 inch lumber. .........000.00. 0000 ccc cee ee ccc e eee e eee e ees 25-26 Beech, No. 2 common:-and better, 1 inch lumber. cai cece des see eines w ccw ness eckvacvcecsicuueceasseuy is 16 Black ash, No. 2 common and better, 1 inch lumber. .................0.00000000005- 23 White pine, No. 2 common and better, 1 inch lumber... 0.02.00. 0000 ccc eee eee 25 Poplar, Na.2 conimoniand better, 1 ingh Timbers... 20s. se cay ose ao Selle ye ocd ce < Sew. ld marnenner eee tae 27 Sawlogs Selling logs by the thousand board feet is a very desirable method, since by it may be avoided the errors usually incident to estimating and the uncertainties introduced in the sawing operation. The prices paid for logs of a given species depend on the size and quality of the logs, and are usually fixed by bargain. The farmer should protect himself by finding out what prices have been obtained by neighbors who have sold logs, and also by correspondence or interview with dealers in logs for other purposes than lumber, such as veneer, handles, ete. As a rule, there are no standard grades of logs, but the price is fixed on inspection by the purchaser. If possible, this should be done before delivery. Otherwise the seller is at the buyer’s mercy. The best prices are those paid for select walnut logs, oak and syea- more for quarter-sawing, cherry, etc. A moderate market has existed in the southern part of the State for export logs of hard maple, rock elm, oak, ete.; but this market is very limited at the present time. Maple logs for export have been bought at about $35 per thousand board feet, f. o. b. shipping point; especially fine maple and elm logs brought ‘quourdiys IOf prosper ayi 01 peyney Jequiny pur sso, ony SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 19 as high as $40 per thousand. The minimum size of such logs is 24 inches inside bark at the small end; and the requirements are about the same as for veneer logs—they must be sound and surface clear, but a slight crook is allowed. In the southern part of the State, high grade hard maple logs, 20 inches and more in diameter, often bring from 623 to $26, delivered at the mill. In 1914, some buyers paid for the common species, such as hard and soft maple, soft elm, and basswood, a fixed price of $20 per thousand board feet, delivered, for good logs, and $10 for poor logs. One such company paid from $20 to $25 per thousand for good white ash logs. Where the farmer has ash, oak, walnut, cherry, basswood, or especially good logs of hard maple and elm, it is decidedly advisable to consider the special uses for which such logs might be suitable before selling to sawmills. Veneer and handle companies are often able to pay con- siderably more for them than sawmills will,—often enough to make shipment profitable. There are certain defects which are apt to be overlooked and which unfit apparently good logs for the most paying use. White oak, for example, is apt to be wormy in some parts of the State, which spoils it for quarter sawing. Wormy logs can often be sold to advantage to vehicle manufacturers for wagon rims. Veneer Veneer logs must be sound, so that they can be held firmly at the ends in the machines. They must be at least 10 inches in diameter inside bark at the small end; and some companies specify minimum diameters of 12 or 14 inches. Often two grades are specified: No. 1 logs, which must be surface clear, straight, and with not over two knots; and No. 2 logs, including all usable logs that fall below these specifications. In dealing with veneer companies at a distance the farmer should take pains to find out just what the minimum requirements are for logs of the second grade; otherwise he will be in danger of having his lower erade logs graded out and refused at the destination, which would in- volve either the complete loss of the logs or a payment of shipping charges in returning them. Standard log lengths, with a minimum of 8 feet, are usually required. Average prices paid for veneer logs by Michigan buyers in 1914 were as follows: TABLE 3.—VENEER LOG PRICES PER 1000 BOARD FEET, F. 0. B. MILL, 1914—MICHIGAN. Diameter at small end, inside bark. Species. Allleiaas 10 to 14 | 17 inches | 18 to 24 25 to 28 29 to 34 | 35 inches inches | and under.| inches. inches, inches. and up. and up. DV ea MOI asst tet are esc. hore cee eliteterreetc anual eee gt Peelers ib 1 Boies 0) | eee peter tel eee ee ete ater ahaa oa. Para net eva der econ Melowsp Oplarsrm conics cae e sauuidaeiia neatnne sede OB eave iater teed ata yee eet esate etasstevavcasicictec| 8 20-50 Ash 2 Aten te ale nt Pek er eel oo oe a ee een eee ee ee te tas ee 5 25-40 Bitchy (yellow And Aween) vdatia peng VERE TON a4 Caleee sve Bee a os Pe RELA Sig fe emer ators an 3 9-13 ORR viiiias ihcad see a's be ban os a eT ale OAs a Pe eee ca eo EN neat ol | 16-35 \O UN We SRE EC ETT ETP r eee en re SP Me ty ae ae a RAT NR tele ane | 1 16-35 Witt tress 25 o's. a ls.d) 259 cote ais ee No es kc 2 ees Gane Me eased rants wiNeeD 8 BaSSWO00 \:<: ac 5 setae dGoard hs sinaeste cere abieead ad (ae ae iv nsNUSges Shed cama’ e ash bee Sha 15-16 Undoubtedly other species, like basswood, cherry, applewood, ete., were used in small amounts, but these were not listed by the firms which reported, The form of raw material required by establishments manufacturing different kinds of handles naturally differs a great deal. Hickory, for example, goes into short and medium length handles, such as axe, pick, and hammer handles; ash is used for longer handles requiring greater stiffness, such as those for forks, hoes, and rakes. Broom handles take a large part of the maple and beech logs. Small tool handles are made of a variety of woods, some of them requiring special kinds; plane handles, for example, are made very largely of applewood. Where strength is a requisite, second-growth wood is often specified. Thus, in the manufacture of cant hooks and peaveys, second-growth maple and SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 21 rock elm are usually required, and the billets for the handles are, as a rule, split in order that no cross-grain may be left in them. Some beech is also used in making logging tools. Handle companies buy very largely in the log or bolt through buyers who get the material from farmers. Firms using hickory have to go to other States for the bulk of their raw material, since there is compara- tively little good hickory timber left in Michigan. Farmers owning good young stands containing considerable hickory can well afford to hold them and care for them in view of the. steadily decreasing supply and increasing demand. The same is true of thrifty, rapidly growing, young ash timber. For fork and hoe handles, the specifications often designate only second-growth ash. The requirements are high, and as a rule the smallest sizes taken are: length 4 feet and a few inches, diameter 6 inches at the small end. The logs must be nearly straight, and with no knots or branches showing on the surface. Manufacturers of scythe snaths use elm and white ash, with some beech and maple for tholes. The elm is mostly rock elm, with some tough soft elm. The log requirements of one company were: diameter (small end) 12 to 30 inches, length 51% feet and up, logs to be straight and smooth. This company paid a good price for farm timber, on the stump, with the understanding that it must be good to be accepted. Top logs of inferior grade were left in the woods. Vehicles and vehicle parts Vehicle manufacturers draw the greater part of their supplies from the general lumber market; much of it—especially hickory and white oak—is supplied by southern jobbers in roughly shaped sawed products and split billets. Nevertheless, some yehicle makers draw largely from farm woodlots, and when this is the ease it usually constitutes one of the desirable markets for the farmer to investigate. Most of the ma- terial thus bought, however, is in the form of rough planks from portable mills. Some of the uses to which the various species are put in vehicle mak- ing are as follows: Rock elm—sleigh runners, sled beams, sled poles, eveners, single-trees, brake blocks, ete. Soft elm—wagon box bottom cleats, ete. Hard maple—wagon axles, plank for wagon and sled bodies and beams, bolsters. Soft maple—wagon box bottom cleats, ete. Oaks—gearings, sills, bed pieces. White oak—treaches, tongues, ete. Birch—hubs. Basswood—wagon box boards. White ash—wagon poles and bodies. Shagbark hickory—axles, single trees. Second-growth hickory—spokes. Whitewood (yellow poplar)—wagon bodies. White pine—wagon box bottoms. Norway pine—wagon box bottoms. 22 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. The grades demanded vary considerably, some firms taking Nee 3 com- mon and better, others only clear lumber. As a rule, planks are speci- fied, but some 1-inch lumber is also taken. The proportionate amounts taken by companies which used local rough products in 1911, and the prices paid for them are as follows, for a few of the native species: TABLE 5.—PRINCIPAL MICHIGAN WOODS USED IN VEHICLE MAKING AND THEIR PRICES, 1911. Percent Species. Of total Value per thousand consumption. board feet. Maple: 50.24 cbacccdnctéadccoumath deems siGdingetasee et ohnagadeces cs haeaadeneee 96 | $12 (logs) aOR Beware eres ota share gained SA a I IGE Otc aii. Uewaluacs eerie s hacer s 3 | 13-30 (logs and plank) ABI HIG», 0.4 Wisc vuisvediew sis weadere thus owee eaves Neews 604 attend ne < Oeiddeniesat wells 25-30 (logs) Elm, POO sis ce Yeas AUC aie GOAN DiS ey emiecrcee Comin an Theaters age anet eas 1 30 (plank) Hornbeam his ar aaK ies he Ae MY DIE ena wa utale mle Are ee mar n ee ier aks 30 (logs) WHS DING pais ccaissgaumh a Cone snecteats eieaw am oNeree mevacemeule ae henner aers 30 (plank) These prices are, of course, obsolete, and are only inserted to give a general idea of the values of the species by reference to the lists given on other pages of this bulletin. Vehicle manufacture affords a good market for hornbeam, which how- ever, is a small tree not commonly found of sufficient size to produce the 7 inch, 16 foot logs required. It is used for tongues for the “big wheels” used in logging in the northern part of the State and elsewhere. Blue beech (sometimes called hop hornbeam or water beech) is oceasion- ally bought, when of sufficient size, for making spokes, felloes, and other parts of heavy wagons. The common beech is also used for felloes. Cooperage Slack barrel cooperage offers a much larger market for Michigan wood- lot trees than tight barrel cooperage. Many different species are used for the former, but the latter takes only white oak, both for staves and headings. The following specifications published by a firm outside the State will serve to show what the requirements are, in general, for tight barrel stave and heading bolts. SPECIFICATIONS FOR WHITE OAK STAVE BOLTS. All stave bolts to show a 3-inch heart face. White oak stave bolts to be made full 36 inches long, not over 6 inches from heart to sap, and not under 41% inches from heart to sap; to be made from sound green trees, not under 18 inches in diameter. Timber must be straight and all defects worked out. Knot, seed and worm holes, windshakes, splits, dead timber, peeks, and short bolts will be classed as culls. Bolts to be ricked close. All bolts must be barked. SPECIFICATIONS FOR WHITE OAK TWEADING BOLTS. Bolts shall be full 22 inches long, and measure 10 inches from heart edge to outside of sap; to be not less than 10 inches across sap side. Bolts shall be ricked close. Knots, seed holes, wind shakes, splits, dead timber, Getting out barrel stave stock. Method of splitting the tree sections into ‘‘quartered” bolts. Barrel stave stock. ee at ‘ “ye Bolts piled in woods, ready for hauling to the mill. SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 23 pecks, and short bolts will be classed as culls. Bolts with five to ten straight worm holes will be accepted. For slack barrel cooperage the specifications are similar, but not so severe. For example, the stave bolts do not have to be quartered, as they do for tight barrel cooperage, for which the staves must be straight grained. Cross grained or twisted grained bolts are acceptable for slack stave and heading manufacture, unless the defect is sufficient to weaken the product materially. Bolts containing sound knots, bird pecks, sap stain, and other minor defects, which would cause their rejection for tight barrel staves and headings, are accepted for slack cooperage. Slack cooperage establishments turn out large quantities of lime, cement, apple, potato, and other fruit and vegetable barrels, butter tubs, ete. In order of the amounts used the species made into staves in 1912* were pine, beech, elm, maple, birch, basswood, spruce, ash, oak, cotton- wood, tamarack, hemlock, and balsam fir. The species used for heading, also in order of amounts used, were pine, beech, basswood, maple, cotton- wood, elm, ash, birch, oak, hemlock, chestnut, sycamore. For hoops, the species used were elm (95 per cent), beech, ash, oak, maple, and bass- wood. Head linings—thin strips used to hold the heading in place— were mostly of elm, rock elm being preferred. Railroad Ties The demand for ties fluctuates considerably, but there are usually standard prices offered which are much the same for the different roads. Many different species are used, including white oak, walnut, and cherry. For these valuable species better prices can ordinarily be obtained for some other use; but when the logs are knotty and crooked no other use may be possible. The hearts of logs, which contain the lower grades of lumber, can often be utilized for this purpose, although it is question- able whether the value would not be greater in low grade lumber than in ties. Regular No. 1 ties are 8 feet long, 8 inches wide, and 6 inches thick. The ties used on the Lake Shore Railroad are 8'%4 feet long, 9 inches wide, and 7 inches thick. Switch ties are 7 by 9 inches in end dimensions and of different lengths. The requirements of the company and the prices paid should be ascertained before a sale is made or the timber is cut. The best prices are those paid for white oak ties, which are used by the railroad without preservative treatment, and ordinarily bring from 55 to 60 cents apiece when cut to standard specifications and de- livered along the right-of-way. “Treatment ties” are mostly of beech, birch, hard maple, and tamarack. Before using they are treated with a wood preservative. No. 1 treatment ties, hardwood, brought in 1914 about 48 cents apiece; No. 2 ties, hardwood and tamarack, for use on side tracks, brought about 38 cents. Quantities of white cedar ties are bought by railroads in the northern part of the State. The Northwestern Cedarmen’s Association specifica- tions for 1912 require that “a standard tie shall be 6-inch face and wider, 12 inches from small end, 6 inches thick and 8 feet long, sawed ends. Ties made different from these specifications shall be regarded as special contracts.” *“Wood-using Industries of Michigan,” by Hu Maxwell; 1912. Published by the State of Michigan in cooperation with the Forest Service. 24 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. Ties are either sawed or hewed. Hewing is wasteful, since a good deal of the best wood in the log, suitable for lumber, is chipped off, the amount of waste being greater, of course, with large than with small logs. Furthermore, tie hewing is a difficult job for an untrained axeman, and it is doubtful if farmers not already experienced would be wise in attempting it. Before deciding to have his logs sawed into ties the farmer should satisfy himself that the value in ties is at least as great as that in lumber. A good deal depends on the quality of the sawing. Logs of desirable species, well sawed into graded lumber, will undoubtedly bring better prices than if sawed into ties, although the log hearts may in some cases have a higher value as ties than as low grade lumber. For less desirable lumber species such as beech, on the other hand, ties at 48 cents apiece may afford the best possible use. Poles and Posts (white cedar) Of the native trees, white cedar (arborvitae) is the only one used ex- tensively for poles. This is a common swamp tree in the northern part of the State. It combines the qualities of durability, lightness, strength, and form, which are requisites of poles and posts. Fall and winter, when the swamps are frozen up, are the best seasons in which to cut cedar, The stumps should be cut high enough to avoid any pronounced crook. Peeling is most easily done in the spring, but it is better to do it in the winter to facilitate drying. Poles cut and peeled during the late fall and winter should be laid in a single layer on a pair of skids large enough to keep them well off the ground. By the first of May a large part of the moisture will have dried out, and the weight of the poles thus considerably reduced. The reduction in freight weight will more than equal the expense of holding, and in addition the poles will gain in strength and durability. Spring and early summer offer the best con- ditions for maximum seasoning in the shortest time, but checking dur- ing seasoning is greatest in poles cut during these seasons. It does not materially affect the strength of the poles, however, and can largely be prevented in the ways mentioned on page 3s. The standard specifications of the Northwestern Cedarmen’s Associa- tion for 1912 may be summarized as follows: All posts and poles must be cut from live timber and peeled, and must be reasonably sound. In posts, “pipe rot’ and other rot defects that do not impair the strength for use in fences are allowed. In large poles a certain amount of butt rot is allowed, not exceeding 10 per cent of the area of the butt, provided it does not plainly impair the strength of the pole above ground. The tops of poles must be reasonably sound, Three classes of materials are recognized: ‘posts,’ 7 and 8 feet long; “large posts and small poles,” from 10 to 20 feet a by 4 or 5 inches top diameter; and “standard telegraph, telephone, and electric poles,” 25 feet or longer, by 4 inches or more in top diameter. Some latitude is allowed in the size specifications: posts may be 2 inches less in leneth, and, if seasoned, 14 inch less in diameter; poles may be 1% inch short for each 5 feet in length, and 6 inches short for any length greater than 20 feet; and the top diameters of seasoned poles may be slightly less than specified—!4 inch less for 4 and 5 ineh poles, 44 inch for 6 inch poles, and 1/10 inch for 7 inch poles. No such latitude in diameter (,SIONPOIg JOT-POOM SuMoyIeIN pure SULINSRATA,, ‘CTL UTJaTING Soules ainyjnowsy jo quouieded ‘SQ worl) ‘siowuej Aq [UI eAvys OY} OF PeyNey sqO CARIS [eueG ILL, SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 25 is allowed, however, for green, fresh-cut, or water-soaked material which must come up to, or exceed, the full diameter specifications. “Sweep” or crook, one way, is allowed, but must not exceed 4 inches for posts and for poles up to 16 feet long. For 18 and 20 foot poles a 4 inch crook, one way, is allowed, and it may be measured from a point 4 feet from the butt. For larger poles, a one way crook of 1 inch for every 5 feet in length is allowed, and it may be measured from a point 6 feet from the butt. The crook is measured by tightly stretching a tape line from top to bottom or other specified point (4 or 6 feet from the butt) on the post or pole, on the side where the sweep is greatest, and then measuring the distance, at the point where it is greatest, between the tape and the pole. Poles must be reasonably sound and well proportioned for their length. Large, sound knots are allowed, if trimmed smooth. “Wind twist” is no defect unless very unsightly and exaggerated. Prices of cedar poles and posts vary, and should be learned im- mediately before the sale. Practically all the Michigan species are used for posts, the values of the different kinds depending on durability. Next to cedar, white oak is probably the most durable of the more common species. Where obtainable, black locust makes extremely durable posts; and black wal- nut, also, is a good post tree. But since these species are usually of much greater value for other uses, it is a mistake to use them for posts except as a means of utilizing rough or small material good for nothing else except fuel. The greatest consumption of posts cut from woodlots is on the farms themselves. Considered as a source of posts alone, a small, thrifty woodlot often proves a valuable adjunct to the farm. Small rough products In the northern part of Michigan the industries which draw their supplies wholly or partly from farm woodlots are much less numerous and less specialized than in the southern part of the State. The prices are lower, since the supply is greater, the demand less, and the length of railroad haul to the consumer so great as, in many cases, to impose prohibitive freight charges. The products used are apt to be in the form of relatively short bolts, though considerable quantities of logs are also taken. Among the industries which take quantities of rough products otherwise of small value are pulp mills, excelsior factories, wood- distillation plants, and lime kilns. The market is not, of course, limited to the northern part of the State. With the possible exception of wood distillation, these industries are represented also by firms in central or southern Michigan. One of the features of these markets is that they afford a means of disposing not only of small trees but also of large, straight, sound branches of big trees cut for other purposes. This is especially the case with hardwood trees, whose tops often afford large quantities of cordwood, salable for fuel and distillation, and some- times for excelsior and pulpwood. The importance of these markets to woodlot owners in northern Michigan lies in the fact that they present a source of income during the period in which the lands are being cleared and put on a productive basis; a period often of great financial hardship. Even when the farmer can get only the equivalent of day wages for his products these markets 26 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. are distinctly useful; and since wood can be cut often to better advantage in the winter than in the summer, a means of securing an income dur- ing the unproductive season and at the same time clearing the productive areas for cropping is presented. When the early struggle of clearing is over, however, the woodlot assumes the same importance to the farm that it has farther south,—for shelter from hot and cold winds, supply of fuel, posts, ete., for the farm, and eventually as the source of a re- current income from the sale of the products to specialized industries which may spring up in the vicinity or within a profitable shipping distance. Wood for pulp.—tindustries reporting the manufacture of wood pulp in Michigan have in the past specified only softwoods—spruce, balsam, hemlock, white pine, jack pine, tamarack,—to which may be added a little “poplar” or aspen. There is a likelihood that certain other hard- woods besides aspen will be used in the near future, as is now being done in many other States. Pulpwood dealers buy either unsplit bolts, by the cord, or logs, by the thousand board feet or cord. The wood is taken either peeled or unpeeled, some companies specifying one or the other, but many of them taking both at a difference of a dollar a cord in favor of peeled material. Bolts are bought in 4-foot lengths, with diam- eters at the small end of 4,5, or 6 inches. The cord is the standard cord of 128 cubic feet—a stack 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high, with usually 3 or 4 extra inches in height to allow for settling. Logs may be 8 or 16 feet long. Spruce is the most valuable of the pulpwoods, but the amount of spruce in Michigan is so small that it is doubtful whether it will figure to any extent in woodlot sales. At northern points prices of from $5 to $6.50 per cord f. o. b. shipping point were offered for unpeeled spruce bolts in 1912, while spruce delivered at Detroit brought $9.85 per cord. Hemlock pulpwood sold for $3.50 rough and $4.50 peeled, balsam for $4 or $5 rough, tamarack for from $3.25 to $4, and white pine for about $3.25 per cord. Eacelsior—Excelsior manufacturers buy chiefly basswood and aspen, or poplar. Some spruce, balsam, “whitewood” (yellow poplar), willow, and Balm of Gilead, is also bought, and often a little tamarack and birch is accepted, although these are inferior species for the purpose and are not wanted in any amount. The preferred species is basswood, which comprises about half the wood used for excelsior. For the northern farmer, however, it is in reference to aspen that the excelsior market is most important. Aspen (“popple” or “poplar”’) is a small tree which has sprung up in great quantities over cut and burned areas in the north. Twenty-five or thirty years after a fire the aspen is about large enough for excelsior bolts, although much more can be cut from stands 10 or 15 years older. When farm lands contain stands of small, thrifty aspen not yet big enough for bolts, it is decidedly worth while to hold them for the comparatively short period necessary to give the trees value. Excelsior wood is bought in bolts 37 or 55 inches long, either peeled or unpeeled. Specifications usually require the bark to be removed “un- less otherwise agreed in writing.” Bolts from 4 to 8 inches in diameter are taken unsplit; from 8 to 12 inches in diameter they should be split in two; and when over 12 inches they should be split to the heart into pieces 6 to 8 inches wide on the bark side. Further requirements are id qsour svat} sty JO asodstp OF MOL SL UM ‘Ath PNO sR JO} BUNVATI JO ssov01d UL JOTPOOM V Aq ydRisojoyd) * cyqr ‘(oReTJoH [Ran [NoWsy URSIN By} Sdodo LOJ doyoq ATL tapqord ¢1auldvy at} pure ‘paylysnt st SUvapo ‘equity 4oy U ) SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 27 that the bolts be ‘cut from live timber, free from gnarls, doze, rot, and large knots....Bolts should be piled up in ranks with a space of about two feet between piles and on poles to keep them up from the ground until they are seasoned and ready to ship. @ mG dichecs | 602 752 903, 1,053 1,204 1,354 1,505 AEA aetenninne es oe linia a tad 636 795 954 1,113 L272: 1,431 1,590 CL Aacteee ae orl ee ae eT 672 840 1,007 | ei 1,343 1,511 1,679 (BES a ae eR oe a a 698 872 1,046 | 1,222 1,396 yal 1,745 BAN eretane coche arcratans canal tey [elastin chanancbeirs 740 925 1,110 1,295 1,480 1,665 1,850 32 SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. TABLE 7.—DOYLE LOG ence Length of log, in feet. Diameter inside bark, small end of log. | 6 8 | 10 | 12 | u | 16 | 18 | 20 Inches. Contents in board feet. (Ge tele, sakearenosineyans 1.5 2.0 aro B60, 7 at) 4 4.5 5.0 | PTET Ee ea 3.4 4.5 5.6 6.8 7.9 9 10.1 1 ia ess | Badck ite ginerintisebisd sack 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 WB ac ccctgnegsicct Giri a cat a nr 9 12 16 19 22 25 28 31 MM Sc Guenved teas 4 aon eae 13 18 22 27 31 36 40 45 EVR res devanahiaatts 18 24 EH 37 43 49 fia) 61 Dic irsnaerurens chee aunt 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 lee. tke bine dwertea x sere 30 40) 51 61 71 81 91 101 Dee eos ethan week incest Ack 37 50 62 75 87 100 112 125 Eg ewe bw pas oo + = eae 45 60 76 91 106 121 136 151 Ds ¢ai4 on bei wea eaa elo 54 72 90 108 126 144 162 180 LBiates Vee Palen ho 054 ex Seas 63 S4 106 127 148 169 190, 211 |: rr errr aire te a 73 98 122 147 171 196 220 245 LO: dete tteaa vidoes bead 8s | S4 112 141 169 197 225 253 281 i Ce ove a eA ale wear eiaee S | 96 128 160 192 224 256 288 320 2 | EE eee eae 108 144 181 217 253 289 325 361 AV ish . tS ome sees Hood & Wright. :.2 S Pr SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 47 TABLE 13.——PRINCIPAL BUYERS OF BLACK WALNUT LOGS IN THE UNITED STATES. State. Town. Firm name. WOnNECH CUES. asics Heats sisiere na0d algeiers ING WAHT aA VET acias amieratae sans eens Winchester Arms Co. MNTOISES os Sierevicle cates carte a Cisieledestals Bel videressen. at su yeisiy eetnew ae eds as National Sewing Machine Co. MU OS ew ctetereielclavela nieiGinions a aves ocbe Galno ne eee Secor te once er Singer Mfg. Co. NOLS Ste x cit eentca chien inane aut WORYCAE Oreste ec ileteare seaeo ostorae an ctevsbane R.5. Bacon Veneer Co. MULT GIS) eee, ete ee ae ere vera + cre iam alk Gaara 2 ctevevaihancatne oases Foley & Williams. Nn Olean hee cereraseiccrats > aie ers o.6e UOC ord ieuscheeraric oe Sia eects se sae Illinois Sewing Machine Co. Indianats a tac.aaia aires: + cc sila cls WortsWaynCewune acest ees s. oaks os | Hoffman Bros. Co. Indiana Pia sakiciae sc araidies gest apsnes Indianapolis... 2 shccescecnces sec ccs | Indiana Veneer & Lbr. Co. TheGhiG ee ees eee eee Indianapolis.................00000 | The Talge Mahogany Co. Nii any eens citys oe cc cieses ons cias oc Lawrenceburg................20ee005 Batesville Lbr. & Veneer Co. IMGs aries ica secre tcie: steseresenve nox tte oe Al GIH One eter een ee eee eer Williamson Veneer Co. Massachusetts..............0..0000- iS Yei=)1(0)1 te. BAe este See D eee | Mason & Hamlin. Massachusetts. .....2. 00 cces vee os eee Gam brid ecstr ass occas «a2 Sie ae tet s National Casket Co. Massachusetts..............--..000- Chicopee Falls. ..................0.. | J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. Massachusettsicco..¢ saa. 5 becuse aes DDN He decay asa een pees ne tera | J. W. Stein Organ Co. INFICHI PAT corer Wels estates ee ale = Big Rapids tence. sm cheered et easels Hood & Wright. PMISSONEL 75/0) e102 cals: bavciste aa ware el ate-s's .| East St. Louis.......................| East St. Louis Walnut Co. MVITSS OUI setstetern sista ctaritelete leases (yes KansasM@ ity otaardds cua a ecme oars Penrod Walnut & Veneer Co. MISSOUT sc oe.se cu bocce clesects < SCR StHOUIsS veces are Ot eee cubes Pickerel Walnut Co. Northi Caroling’. .:% seal ne dave s nais Menoineesenmamen athe ss Gee ne nets Lenoir Veneer Co. Whig eee ne ctnsteiert cere seinen sen cs (CIMCON Atlas ee cresa ee crate as atime as ales The Ohio Veneer Co., 2624 Colerain Ave. OBIOn acne ines erseluenteeecne ae Daytona tes base fslrnaitenath ae 4% sate H. C. Hossafores. (0) (OS oe a ey eee IMG DE bate ee See ere George W. Hartzell. IRENTISY VAT a)scccetete rs cveietetstsiele cas raeie PInladel Phi greseuese a sieves oe fee cream cre ete A. H. Fox Gun Co. IWAISGONSIMS; cncrunsoteteie actereree ia orate s OShKOSH the wernheede eicteclewedied ates ead Paine Lumber Co., Ltd. APPENDIX. FACTS RELATING TO THE WOODLOT SITUATION IN MICHIGAN. The agricultural development of a heavily wooded region is a slow and difficult process. The first farms in southern and central Michigan, as throughout most of the East, undoubtedly contained a great deal more woodland than tilled land. As the zone of pioneering was pushed farther north, more and more of the woodlot area in the longer settled sections was cleared for cultivation. The progress of agriculture can therefore be roughly gauged by the proportion of the total farm land which is in woods. This proportion is shown for Michigan in the map of “woodlot regions” (page 48). Each of these “regions” consists of coun- ties having similar proportions of woodland to total farm land, accord- ing to the 13th census (1910). The different regions are shown by shad- ing, the heaviest shading representing that in which the farms are from 60 to 80 per cent wooded. Tables 14 and 15 and Diagram 1 are based on these regions, so that the chief facts relating to the status of wood- lots in any part of the State can be easily ascertained after locating on the map the “woodlot region’ in which the area falls. SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 48 “OSS UL pazTuess0 JOU SVM YOM AJUNOD Jas, V JO S}stsuoy uotsed SIG} *JO[POOM B Sut Wey ATOAD YVY} BUIUIMSSYy. (qua0 dod) OUIODUT ULIRY 1240} 0} Sponpoad yo;poom jo anyea 12404 jo uoTysIOdo1g ae eg ae **(SIB[OP) PJOS Sponpord yorpoom jo onfva osBloAY “sees s*(saRrTop) SHIR] UO pasn SpONpoOsd JOTPOOA Jo oNIVA dBIBAY os (savyop) Burjsoded uriey dad syonpoid yorpoom yo onyea [e10} esRIAy SE a eee (juao aod) poaoadumt purl wey Jo uoryodo1g Peer rrr ere ek cee et eee et ee er (saaot) 4S}O]POOM yo ais aFvIOAY “*-(quao dad) papoomun pue poaosdurun pury wey jo wotysodosg ah Rl a a (quaa Jad) papoom pur] ULIey Jo uOTytodo1g SR A aS ee ore t (suvy[op) aaov sad purl ULE] Jo onjva osvs0AY a ers (quo Jad) ooeyANs pur] [2}0} 07 puR] Wey Jo UoTOdo1g a ro JC F 86 & 0G ee OO Tg |} L£8° TOT Go Tel vs LL Lt wee") BOOS =|} 6S FS aa 11°86 |" "'" "| $6 T6T F8 GST 86 Le |e 6 GL ¢ SOT 8 eP L SOL | GGL 9'F 09 Wedge oe a I 61 & FI Ge me! 9°89 T 18 ne Shoe | | TPR LT rh Gig 0G Gs ‘O88T ‘OLGL L 0881 ‘O16 ‘OSST ‘OIG6L ‘O88 ‘OLG6L re FO 8 IL SF GL 98 69 FI @ ST Oe. ; i) an | $L°G8 0 29 PIL ‘OSST ‘OLGL “OSS8I “OL6T TeL Biv) OM “AI Inf ul BI “SUOLTad YOTPOO AA “UOLJENYIS JO[POOM puUB ULI] oq} SULyeoIpur s10}08,T ‘SHSOSNAO HLtl GNV HLOT AHL Ad CALOWTION SOLLSILV.LS NO GASVa—(., SNOIDAY LOTAGOOM,, JO dVW Aas) O16T ‘NVDIHOIN NI SNOIDUY LOTCOOM FHL JO SOLLSTHALOVUVHO— FE ATaVL JIGOOM GNY GFIGOOMNNA GNY GAINOYdWINN GINOHIW/ SFYOKY AIO YHFIGMWNAN FOVYFINY FHL SMOHS FIONVLOIY HIV 089! NI GNt’ O16! NI_SNOIQTHY LOTGOOM, FHL IO HOWF NI WAYS FOVAFIAY FHL AO FZI/S -1 NVHOVIA anv 7a00M LZ] INT GFIOOMNN ONY GINOGAWINA | REEL [| SWY ve SO ON SWY Xe! SO ON SWE te ASO ON SWe +S AO ON SWe YS SO 'ON ZEC 4821/2! 8/10'GEe/ 18802 SG9LEZ NV Oe “ee 2 we O 7F-GC CO. Om y SELLING WOODLOT PRODUCTS ON MICHIGAN FARMS. 49 The table shows that where the woodlots are largest, farming is least important; land values are lowest; the percentage of improved farm land is least; and the value received for woodlot products on the average farm is greatest. Just the reverse is true of the regions with the smallest proportion of wooded farm land. The figures given in the last line of the table bring out forcibly the importance of the woodlot in the dif- ferent regions. They show that while woodlot products comprised 6.4 per cent of the value of all farm incomes in the entire State, the wood- lot income from region IV was over a fifth and that from region V over a fourth of the total farm income in these counties. How the growth of farming has affected Michigan woodlots is shown in Table 15, which gives the actual acreage in farm woodland in 1910, and the per cent of increase or decrease in farm woodland area in the thirty years from 1880 to 1910. TABLE 15.—FARM WOODLAND IN MICHIGAN, BY WOODLOT REGIONS, 1910, AND PER CENT OF INCREASE OR DECREASE IN AREA SINCE 1880. | Farm | Inerease or Woodlot regions. | woodland area, | decrease, 1880- 1910. 1910. | | Acres. Per cent. | 209.209 53.9 decrease. 1,698,043 46.6 decrease. 783,836 | 11.0 increase. 216,211 | 88.6 increase. 20, 255 ¥ e PIs Ga eee nearer. Sieralene rege erate axes ars Sees lies. aaakke cease ene hee cies te LOE cee Alais dun eee | 2,927,554 34.2 decrease. *Alger county, with 68.6 per cent of its farm land wooded, was not organized in 1880, and no comparison is possible. The deduction which this table appears to justify is that for the present, at least, the farm woodland area can be expected to increase only in those regions where farming has not yet occupied large areas. Elsewhere the decrease will be rapid as more and more of the woodlot area is claimed for cultivation. MW AC ETS Jaa wy ny Neal tne thane sae, a CEN VE Anh alt ir ‘sara , ri it | ie aa VGopen epee aD ie trite 2 nite aan Beet Bib aren bec tie OP pv Whe, ah hunt Nets 7 pare \ Com erin) ae aay vl! Ml stage ule be a hy ‘ } ane ane ey chet f f est toe 4 \ They is: ap in Me is 4 aN crete aaa . Pienaar ste nr the e 4 - . Aid r N i pine ra beh ‘ ty iy “ " Bc lat \ ; ous t : Unb ed eae a a LP | iy ive vy 4 ; ae PEs ine oh) je Lu BRARY OF CONGRESS 0000869461614