Many articles have been published in the various papers of the country upon this question for the past thirty years, but in all cases an opinion only has been given, which, at the present day, such is the advance and higher development of the intellectual faculties of man, that a mere opinion upon any question without sufficient and substantial reasons to back it is of little value.

My object in writing this is not simply to give an opinion, but how and the methods used by which I adopted such conclusions, as well also as the reasons why timber is more durable and better when cut at a certain season of the year than when cut at any other.

In the course of my investigations of this question for the past thirty years, I have asked the opinion of a great many persons who have been engaged in the lumber business in various States of the Union, from Maine to Wisconsin, and they all agree upon one point, viz., that the winter time is the proper time for cutting timber, although none has ever been able to give a reason why, only the fact that such was the case, and therefore drawing the inference that it was the proper time when timber should be cut; and so it is, for one reason only, however, and that is the convenience for handling or moving timber upon the snow and ice.

It was while engaged in the business of mining in the mountains of California in early days, and having occasion to work often among timber, in removing stumps, etc., it was while so engaged that I noticed one peculiar fact, which was this—­that the stumps of some trees which had been cut but two or three years had decayed, while others of the same size and variety of pine which had been cut the same year were as sound and firm as when first cut.  This seemed strange to me, and I found upon inquiry of old lumbermen who had worked among timber all their lives, that it was strange to them also, and they could offer no explanation; and it was the investigation of this singular fact that led me to experiment further upon the problem of cutting timber.

It was not, however, until many years after, and when engaged in clearing land for farming purposes, that I made the discovery why some stumps should decay sooner than others of the same size and variety, even when cut a few months afterward.

I had occasion to clear several acres of land which was covered with a very dense growth of young pines from two to six inches in diameter (this work for certain reasons is usually done in the winter).  The young trees, not being suitable for fuel, are thrown into piles and burned upon the ground.  Such land, therefore, on account of the stumps is very difficult to plow, as the stumps do not decay for three or four years, while most of the larger ones remain sound even longer.

But, for the purpose of experimenting, I cleaned a few acres of ground in the spring, cutting them in May and June.  I trimmed the poles, leaving them upon the ground, and when seasoned hauled them to the house for fuel, and found that for cooking or heating purposes they were almost equal to oak; and it was my practice for many years afterward to cut these young pines in May or June for winter fuel.