Our brothers and sisters at the Gewerbe Akademie in Rottweil (GER) have as part of their curriculum a chart that I have been provelaged to view; it links time of harvest (season) and even phase of moon to the felling of particular species of timber, for a particular purpose.
This is not presented as some sort of new-age vodoo, but as solid traditonal practice.
It sounds like Rudy has found something similar for North America.
I wonder if earlier versions of the USDA Handbook would have something along these lines.