For years now I've been of the persuaion that harvesting timber (trees) in winter is advantageous to higher quality and more stable material. The common knowledge has always been that's when the "sap is down".

For Christmas I received a small handbook called "Musson's Improved Lumber and Log Pocket Book". It is a reprint originally published in 1905. In it there is a section titled "Proper Time for Cutting Timber" which states that if oak, hickory or chestnut timber is felled in August, in the second running of the sap, and barked, it will season perfectly, even a large tree. Whereas that cut in winter and remaining till next fall, will be completely sap-rotten, and unfit for any purpose almost.

I'm curious if anyone has heard this before, or if anyone knows a source of written material that contradicts it or supports winter harvest?

Looking forward to any replies.

Rudy R. Christian