Not sure if anyone really cares about this stuff, and in many ways it only applies to the size trees we have here in Maine which I say are neither too big nor small, but here are some rough, real world wood measures. It takes 10-12 decent sized trees of hardwood to make 1 cord of wood (about 10-12" in diameter) It is more efficient to cut 2-3 smaller trees than one big tree. Trees reach firewood age in 35 years or so. Just because a tree is small does not mean it is young or not rotten. Plan forest trails well. They access your woodlot and do not allow for more trees to grow. A good trail system is the least mileage wise and accesses the most acres. Skidder, tractor, bulldozer; no matter, I can not exceed 1 cord per hour felled, limbed and skidded to the deck on a decent (1/2 mile or less) twitch no matter how fast I work. A thousand board feet roughly equals 2 cords It takes 100 random sized logs to make a "straight frame" triaxle load of wood (8',10',12', 14' and 16") The same truck can hold around 10 cord of wood legally tree length The same truck can hold 11 cord softwood tree length legally The same truck can hold 11 cord of hardwood piled cross-ways 8 foot It takes 45-50 16 foot logs to make a straight frame triaxle load of wood It takes 100 12' logs to make a straight frame triaxle load of wood A triaxle tractor trailer can hold 15 cord of hardwood tree length A triaxle tractor trailer can hold 18 cord of hardwood cut 8 foot piled crossways For every 1 inch lost in diameter, buck the tree 2 feet less for more board feet Hardwood logs need to be meticulously graded for quality regardless of the length (typically short logs) Softwood pays better for longer logs and typically have no scale (straight price) Hardwood logs cannot be smaller then an 8 inch top Softwood logs can go down to a 6 inch top Mat Logs cannot have a top smaller then 10 inches at 16' or 18' and cannot be Basswood or Popil. 2" sweep in 8 feet is allowed. Sweep in a 14" top or more is unlimited. No limit on knot faces. Air drying wood equals 1 inch depth per year (a 2inch plank would take 2 years to air dry) All paper mills have a 4 inch top rule Any paper mill that goes by length (4', 8' or 24') means you cannot exceed that length. It can be under (you are paid by weight), but not over! EVER! All limbs must be cut off parallel with the bole. Any softwood log can be as muddy as you want, just not the ends. They must be perfectly clean so the saws do not dull (debarkers take off the rest of the mud) If you have a logger log your land, expect to get paid 1/3 the price after trucking for pulpwood/firewood and 1/2 for any logs. A small dozer can stump a softwood tree easily up to 1 foot, a hardwood at 8-10" It takes a lot of weight and horspower to remove stumps. Hiring or renting a big machine is cheaper then a smaller one that must work 3 times harder (and longer) to remove the same stump Ash and Pine are the hardest stumps to pull. Apple trees, hemlocks and oaks have very shallow roots!
Words from a logger.. all great info.. what kind of wood is most desirable for standard notebook paper?
great info LodgedTree I find it amazing how different our perceptions are.. first in my area it's all about sugar maples... a 10 to 12 inch tree about 50 or in sugaring a 1 tapper.. or a small one.... 20 years ago.. every other type of tree was arch wood or firewood. a lot of pines are worthless as carpenter ants would eat the middle tree looks healthy but when cut 4 to 6 inches outside ring is there middle is a hole... Back to sugaring.. if you have a hundred acres of maples it's a retirement! friend bought an old quarry 118 acres.. 5000 +- taps... bought and ran lines to a collection spot downhill (not hard to do in VT) they are paying minimum 40 cents a gallon for SAP! cost for land taps and lines and old milk truck to collect and transport sap was paid itself in 3 years... while he was working.. he now is retired 45 and plays with his kids he jokes well I used to work 48 weeks a year with 4 weeks of sick and vacation time... now I work 4 to 6 weeks sugaring season.. and the rest for my wife's honey do list!
Generally speaking brown paper is made from softwood and hardwood makes white paper. That is the reason for the demise of so many paper mills here; with an abundance of softwood, mills were built to use it and make brown paper for the newspaper industry and shopping bag industry. Both of those have dramatically been reduced, so ultimately those mills closed. A few are still viable around the country, BUT they are not about to buy a paper mill in Maine and keep it running, best to let it be torn down and keep the competition to a minimum.
I think a lot of people get $crewed buying firewood. The only way to measure it is stacked 4' tall and then measure off the stack. A cord = A stack 24' long Two stacks 12' long 3 stacks 8' long 4 stacks 6' long. Throwing loose in a trailer is very misleading. This trailer will hold two face when 24" side panels are in and it is tightly stacked. This is exactly one face cord loose thrown in a 6 x 10' trailer.
