Hi all:

Again great thread and many good comments and points of view.

Over my many years trying to reproduce lumber for restorations and reproductions in these cases mostly white pine, trying to select logs of proper and equal quality was very hard to that that was available in the forests of the last century (1800's).

the trees were older with more heartwood then, and the tree stands now are of 3rd and 4th growth species, I suspect the genetics of the present trees are remarkably different now, the growth characteristics are also quite different now.

I do know for instance that logs floated in the pond for 1 or 2 years will cut exceedingly better quality lumber and will be harder and plane up nicer after air drying. We always floated good quality logs for a period before cutting, it also kept the beetles at bay.

In my day it was always considered better to harvest timber in the coldest part of the winter, and then saw and pile in the spring for one year for every inch of thickness to air dry. then re-pile inside for further drying and aging for another season. each year that you can keep the timber curing is better before use. It is hard to beat 5 or 6 year cured lumber out of an open shed or storage area.

NH