44 Miscellaneous Circular 39, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 
tion of the amount available. The waste. First, these small trees if left 
crux of this problem seems to be lack in the woods will be large trees in 
of understanding between the con- future years and will, therefore, yield 
sumers and those who can or do pro- a quantity of timber much in excess 
duce the dimension stock. Many hard- of what they yield to-day, and will 
wood mills have tried the making of also yield a superior quality. Second, 
small dimension stock and given it up it can be shown that the cost of cut- 
because it proved unprofitable. They ting and manufacturing these trees is 
ascribe the failure to irregular and un- in excess of the realization from the 
certain markets; the difficulty of get- lumber produced. The size which 
ting orders for the range of sizes they should be left will vary according to 
must make to get a fair yield from the species, operating conditions, nearness 
raw material and a proper volume of of markets, and other conditions, but 
production ; the low prices they must a careful study will make due allow- 
accept for the stock compared with ance for all variable factors. This 
prices for lumber of inferior grade, question has also a direct bearing on 
difficulties over inspection, ete. What- the important problems of the exces- 
ever the reasons may be, one faet is sive proportions of low grades pro- 
clear, and that is that there is burned duced as compared with the demand. 
annually a quantity of material suffi- The problem of low grades is one 
cient to make many millions of feet which deserves separate treatment be- 
of small-dimension stock having a cause of its importance and the many 
utility value in excess of the cost to complex problems involved. Its dis- 
make it. cussion can not be attempted here, It 
A large saving can undoubtedly be involves the question of grade stand- 
effected in the improvement of manu- ards; further refinement at the mills ; 
facturing processes simply by bringing freight rates on low grades; trees and 
about the general adoption of the best logs that should or should not be left 
practices known to the industry. In in the woods; and many others, 
the woods may be mentioned such The utilization of the slash now 
things as cutting stumps low, prevent- left in the forest for pulpwood, acid 
ing breakage in felling, cutting into wood, and other burposes is entirely 
logs so as to minimize the loss from a matter of markets. In some sections 
crooks and other defects and utilizing it can be gotten out profitably; in 
the full length of the tree, prevent- others the prices paid by the con- 
ing deterioration in the log, ete. In sumers of this material are insufficient 
the mill the practices in respect to to pay the cost of getting it out of the 
width of saw kerf, allowance for dry- woods. 
ing, methods of sawing, edging, trim- Irregular buying by some of the 
ming, ete., vary so persistently that large users, notably the railroads, has 
they suggest very forcibly the wisdom been a potent waste factor and has a 
of adopting standardized practices as direct bearing on the problem of low 
a means of waste elimination. Time grades. If it were possible for the 
will not permit detailed discussion of railroads to purchase and receive their 
these things, but there can be no doubt hardwood requirements with a de- 
that they offer opportunities for con- gree of regularity, a great deal of 
siderable waste reduction, although waste could be prevented and the cost 
the situation in respect to these fac- to the railroads for the material they 
tors is much better than it was 10 purchase would probably be somewhat 
years ago. less than under the present system. 
Through the entire range of manu- The economic position of the hard- 
facturing processes there is need of wood industry must be considered in 
technical study. Such studies may be approaching waste problems. The 
expected to yield in saving of waste a, geographical distribution of the vari- 
return greatly out of proportion to ous units; the large number of dif- 
the cost. It should be remembered ferent species and sizes manufac- 
that savings due to improvement in tured ; the instability of the market ; 
processes, when once established, con- the lack of adequate cooperation 
tinue indefinitely, and long after the among the different units; the wide 
expense has been forgotten. variation in market prices for any one 
A source of waste that is especially grade at any given time ; the lack of 
deserving of study is that which arises adequate information about market 
from the cutting of small timber. conditions, stocks available, prices, 
Such a study will undoubtedly dis- ete. ; the keen and aggressive competi- 
close that much of the small timber tion; the lack of uniform grade 
cut to-day results in two kinds of values ; and other perplexing questions