48 Miscellaneous Circular 39, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 
produced a 1 by 4, 12 feet long. That centage of low grade or No. 3 than of 
would make a final value of the strip the clear. The general market is al- 
7.2 cents. Under the changed methods ways short of the higher-grade prod- 
of remanufacture at the sawmill, we uct, particularly in hardwood, which 
would cut that log up alive and not is used for the higher grades of 
put it through our edges. It would go manufactured articles. Necessarily, 
direct from the sawmill to the dry therefore the higher grade fluctuates 
kiln. The first saving would occur less than the low grade, for which 
then, because in going through the there is a very limited demand, it 
modern kiln the lumber, in about 14 being used for but one or two pur- 
days, would come out in fully as good poses, such as boxing or crating, and 
condition as it went in; while if it coming into competition with all kinds 
had been put out in the yard in the of lumber for these purposes, whether 
old-fashioned way and left to air dry hardwood or softwood. The clear 
a matter of six months it would be dimension sizes of hardwood do not 
more or less cupped, ends would be come into competition with all kinds 
twisted, and possibly cracks would de- of lumber, but with very limited kinds 
velop, that might make it even of a of lumber, and have a broad field of 
poorer quality than a No. 8. At least, usefulness. Generally the finished 
if there was any cutting in it, it would product, used with other kinds of 
be largely spoiled for cutting-up di- material, is but a small percentage of 
mension ; so, in quality alone it would the cost of the finished article. It is 
depreciate. wanted kiln dried ; it is wanted clear; 
On the other hand, when the board it is wanted finished completely ; and 
came out of the dry Kiln, it would the average buyer would sooner pay 
then be sent to the cutting-up mill. what looks like @ high price per 
Instead of being edged first, it would thousand feet because per unit it is a 
be crosscut to such size as would small item in the general finished size 
yield the greatest proportion of wide, of the article in which it is a com- 
clear lumber all the way from 1 foot ponent part. 
up to 4 feet long. As these pieces From our investigation (which was 
were crosscut, they would then go on a a little slow during the experimental 
set of rollers to the next machine stage), we are now convinced that by 
where we have some fine scroll band pursuing this course we shall be able 
saws. They would be edged in the to conserve timber because we will get 
shorter pieces to bring about the a much larger percentage of finished 
widest width possible. Then the product out of the log than in the old- 
heart would be taken out, leaving fashioned method of manufacture. 
from the bark to the heart that por- Second, we will get a much greater 
tion of the log which contains the percentage of clear stock, always in 
clearest lumber. From our experience demand, decrease our proportion of 
we have obtained, first, in lumber cut low grade generally, and give the 
up in this way an average of from 25 trade what they want. Then there is 
to 3314 per cent more lumber, the saving in freight. The offal, the 
measured in the same way (in itself low grade, is not shipped; and a sav- 
a striking lesson in conservation or ing is made to the public in general 
saving). Second, instead of the strip in not asking the railroad companies 
making simply a 1 by 4, 12 feet long, to carry a lot of waste which the 
of No. 3 quality at $18 per thousand, public ultimately has to pay for in 
or a value of 7.2 cents, it has re- some form or another. 
sulted in. our cutting as high as 6 As time goes on we feel that this 
feet of lumber practically all clear will influence us to remanufacture 
and * selling in the neighborhood of even some of the medium grades that 
$70 per thousand, or netting $52 per are now being shipped in the rough. 
thousand, or over twice as much in Another thing, in saving the freight, 
actual financial results. First, then, the so-called finished sizes are all 
there is a saving*of about 50 per cent dressed and kiln dried, weighing one- 
in actual lumber; second, a change in third less than the rough lumber ; or, 
the quality from No. 3 common to for the same amount per car you can 
clear lumber bringing $70 a thousand, get one-third more lumber at a given 
less the cost of kiln drying and re- point in the finished size for the same 
manufacturing, which, figuring even freight than you could .in the rough. 
at $15 or $20 a thousand, still brings This illustration in hardwood is 
a net saving of from $32 to $37 per just a forerunner of what must oc- 
thousand. cur in hardwoods from all over the 
In addition, the average run of logs country, whether shipped from Wis- 
naturally contains a much greater per- consin to New York or any assem-