S2Three system 6 mill-size alternatives were designed and evaluated to determine their overall economic potential for producing standard-size hardwood blanks. The study focused on developing standard discounted cash flow measures. Internal rates of return ranged from about 15 to 35 percent after taxes. Secondary effort was directed at providing accounting cost summaries to facilitate cost comparison of standard-size blanks with rough-dimension stock. Cost per square foot of blanks ranged from about $0.88 to $1.19, depending on mill size and the amount of new investment required.S3.

S2Precommercial thinning was done in a 12-year-old Appalachian hardwood sapling stand in West Virginia. Two crop-tree release techniques were used-crown touching and crown touching plus 5 feet. Results indicated that both treatments significantly increased & year d.b.h. growth for released yellow-poplar and black cherry crop trees. Although there was a major increase in d.b.h. growth, caution is suggested when using the crown-touching plus 5 feet treatment as butt-log quality response was not conclusive. Releasing crop trees with the crown-touching approach seems appropriate in sapling stands when applied to desirable stems on better sites. S3.