Discoloration of hard maple lumber commonly occurs during kiln-drying. In this study, discolored andnondiscolored kiln-dried hard maple lumber boards were characterized using a colorimetric method and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Colorimetric measurements (L*, a*, b*) were found to be in good agreement with visual grading. Brightness or lightness (L*) of hard maple lumber decreased with discoloration while redness (a*) and yellowness (b* increased with discoloration. The pH and metal ion content of lumber appeared to play no role in the discoloration process. ATR-FTIR spectra of lumber revealed that although all lumber boards exhibited similar features in the fingerprint and other regions, there were differences in intensities of some absorption bands. One significant difference between accepted and rejected lumber boards was in the 1600-1717 cm-' region. ATR FTIR alone was not sensitive enough to adequately describe changes in chemistry of discolored and discolored hard maple lumber boards.

A field production study was conducted for a manual harvesting system using a chainsaw and cable skidder in a central Appalachian hardwood forest site. A partial cut was performed on a 50-acre tract with an average slope of 25 percent. Felling time per tree was most affected by diameter at breast height and the distance between harvested trees while skidding cycle time was mainly affected by turn payload size and skidding distance. Productivity of chainsaw felling was 362 ft.(3) per productive machine hour (PMH) (2.23 thousand board feet [MBF]/PMH) with a unit cost of $8.0/cunit (100 cubic feet) ($13.0/MBF). Cable skidding productivity was 289 ft.(3)/PMH (1.78 MBF/PMH) and unit cost was $27.0/cunit ($50.0/MBF). The balanced manual harvesting system could produce 7,236 ft.(3) per week (44.63 MBF/week) with unit cost of $37.0/cunit ($60.0/MBF).

Abstract The eastern hardwood resource contains numerous species that differ in grain, color, texture, and workability. Because the value of hardwoods is derived from appearance, these variations in physical attributes can cause the price for identical grades of hardwood lumber to vary by as much as 600% between species. As a result, there is incentive for primary processors to harvest certain species more intensively than others, which could affect long-term forest composition. This article introduces the concept of relative utilization to augment the infrequently published annualized growth-to-drain ratio and examines the relative utilization of 13 eastern hardwood species on a national and regional basis. An analysis of relative utilization coefficients developed from primary and secondary data showed that black cherry, red oak, hard maple, and yellow-poplar were relatively overutilized, while the gums, hickory, and beech were underutilized. Relative utilization has varied by species over time due to changes in furniture styling and the ability of industry to substitute species. Shade-tolerant species such as hard and soft maple are regenerating faster than shade- intolerant species, resulting in increased long-term supply even if current sawtimber volumes are relatively overutilized. North. J. Appl. For. 18(2):37–41.

This paper presents a current analysis of an important segment of the hardwood lumber industry termed "grade mills" or sawmills that primarily produce lumber graded under National Hardwood Lumber Association rules. The analysis found considerable differences between mills that use bandsaws for initial log breakdown (band mills) and mills that use a circle saw for initial log breakdown (circle mills). On average, band mills were found to be larger than circle mills, have a greater kiln-drying capacity, and export a higher proportion of lumber relative to production. The analysis also found that mills that used high-cost, computerized edgers and bin sorters are more likely to be band mills. A regional analysis of this industry showed that mills in the Southern and Appalachian regions are larger than those in other regions of the eastern United States. However, New England mills exported proportionally more lumber than mills in other regions, while firms in the Midwest had considerably greater dry-kiln capacity.

Ring shake is a barrier to improved utilization of eastern hemlock, an important component of the total softwood timber resource in the Eastern United States and Canada. Ring shake is the lengthwise separation of wood that occurs between and parallel to growth rings, diminishing lumber yields and values. Evaluating the potential for ring shake is essential to improving estimates of tree and stand volume and value, and identifying forest management practices that could minimize the occurrence of ring shake. To assess the incidence and extent of ring shake in eastern hemlock, we sampled 377 trees containing 1,247 sawlogs from sites in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Results include relative frequencies of trees and logs with ring shake detected in dry and green lumber. Relationships between tree attributes and the occurrence of ring shake in dry and green lumber also are presented.

A field production stlldy was conducted for a manual harvesting system using a chainsaw and cable skidder in a central Appalachian hardwood forest site. A partial cut was performed on a 50-acre tract with an average slope of25 percent. Felling time per tree was most affected by diameter at breast height and the distance between harvested trees while skidding cycle time was mainly affected by turn payload size and skidding distance. Productivity of chainsaw felling was 362 ft.3 per productive machine hour (pMH) (2.23 thousand board feet (MBF)/PMH) with a wlit cost of$8.0/cunit (100 cu- bic feet) ($ 13.0/MBF). Cable skidding productivity was 289 ft.3/pMH (1.78 MBF/ PMH) and unit cost was $27.0/cunit ($50.0/MBF). The balanced manual harvesting system could produce 7,236 ft.3 per week (44.63 MBF/week) with unit cost of $37.0/cunit ($60.0/MBF).