MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 137 



the largest limb is also measured — i. c, if it is 6 feet long 

 and 26 inches girth, but no smaller limb is included. Though 

 the bark of Oak timber is of considerable value, yet allowance 

 is made for it as for other trees, because of the uselessness of 

 the sapwood, against which it is a set off. 



Having described his practice as to felled timber, the writer 

 will now explain his system of measuring standing timber. Be- 

 fore commencing, he provides himself with a leather strap marked 

 or graduated, a pole, a marking axe, and a red lead pencil, ora small 

 brush and paint. The strap may be any convenient length, from 

 15 to 20 feet, f of an inch broad, and of the strength of a small 

 bridle rein, with a piece of lead attached to one end of it. 

 Previous to marking the strap with the necessary figures, the 

 leather should be alternately wet and dried, as it is apt to shrink 

 and expand when in use, according to the state of the weather. 

 A seasoned gig rein, when reduced to proper dimensions, forms 

 an excellent strap. Such straps, so far as the writer is aware, 

 are not to be bought in the shops, but must be home-made, and 

 marked as in the annexed figure : — 



I Lead | 6H-rH^H-9-|-I0H-llH-12-l-13ia4-|a5-|a6-|a7-|a8-ia9-|^0-|-2I-l-22-|-23-|-24-|-25-|^6-l-27-l-28-|-29-|-3O-|-31-|-3a-| 



6 being the first figure upon the strap, is exactly 26 inches from 

 the end, including the lead, and is the side of the square. The 

 next figure is 7, being 27§ from the end of the strap, and so on ; 

 the cross stroke indicates half inches — quarter inches for common 

 practical purposes are seldom used, but are indicated on the 

 strap by a dot, and may be used if required. The pole used for 

 taking the height is fourteen feet long, marked feet and half 

 feet. The lowest mark is at 6 feet, at which the trees are mostly 

 girthed ; thus by an expeditious and simple process the contents 

 of the first 12 feet of the trunk are found. This is a simple, 

 expeditious, and safe method of measuring standing timber, either 

 for sale, transfer, or other purpose — a method, in the writer's ex- 

 perience, surpassing for speed and accuracy all others that he has 

 either himself tried or heard of ; but one, at the same time, the ac- 

 curacy of which depends upon matured judgment and experience. 

 Though the use of the slide is recommended for casting up 

 the contents of a tree, yet in extensive practice it is seldom used. 

 Having the length of the section (or whole tree), as indicated by 

 the pole, and the girth, by which the side of the square is shown, 

 as indicated on the strap by passing it round the tree, the relative 

 proportions of length, girth, and contents soon become so familiar 

 to the mind that no casting up is required. A few examples 

 will show this, taking the section at twelve feet in length, the 

 following are the results sufficiently near for practical pur- 

 poses : — 



