52 



D. — Procedure and oi-tfit. 



The station deterniiiioil upon, the collector will proceed to examine it for the selection of sites. After having 

 selected the sites, he will at once communicate the selection, with description and .justiticatiou, to this office, 

 negotiate with the owners of the timber (which might be done conditionally during the iirst examination) for the 

 purchase or donation of test trees; and the latter arrangements completed, without waiting reply from this office, 

 he will at once proceed to collect test pieces on one of the sites, in regard to the selection of which he is not in 

 doubt. 



To properly carry out the instructions, the following assistance and outfit may be required : 



(1) Two men* with axe and saw; a boy also may be of use. 



(2) Team, wagon, and log trucks for moving test pieces and logs to station. 



(3) Frow or sharp hacking knife for splitting disks. Heavy mallet or medium sized "maul" to be used with 

 frow. 



(4) A hand saw. 



(5) Red chalk for marking. (A special marking hammer will be substituted.) 



(6) Tai)e line and 2-foot rule or calipers. 



(7) Tags (specially furnished). 



(8) Tacks (12 ounce) to fasten tags. 



(9) Wrapiuug 2>aper and twine. 



(10) Franks for mailing test Jiieces (specially furnished). 



(11) Shipping tags for logs. 



(12) Scales, with weight power not less than ISO pounds. 



(13) Barometer ibr ascertaining elevations. 



(14) Comjiass to ascertain exposures. 



(15) Spade and pick to ascertain soil conditions. 



(16) Bags for shipping disks. 



E. — JIetiiui> of making tkst riKCES. 

 ((() Matiin liTcs. 



(1) Before foiling the tree, blaze and mark the north side. 



(2) Fell tree with the saw as near the ground as i)racticable, avoiding the ilare of (he butt and making the 

 usual kerf with the axe opposite to the saw, if possible, so as to avoid north and south side. If necessary square off 

 the butt end. 



(3) Before cutting oti' the butt log mark the nortli siilc on the second, third, and further log lengths. 



(1) Measure ott' aud cut logs of merchantal)le hugth and diameters beginning from Ihc butt, noting tlie length 

 and diameters in the record. 



Should knots or otlier impertections, externally visible, occur within 8 inches of the log mark, make the cut 

 lower down or higher up to avoid the imperfection. 



(.5) Continue measuring the full length of the tree and record its length. Note also distance from the ground 

 and position on the tree (whether to the north, south, west, east,) of one large sound limb. Mark its lower side 

 aud .'iaw it off close to the trunk and measure its length and record it; the limb to be utilized as described later. 



If the tree after felling prove unsound at the butt, it will be i)ermissil)le to cut off as much or as little as noces- 

 sarv within the first log length. If sound timber is not found in the first log, the tree must be discarded. Only 

 sound timliir must be shipped. Any logs showing imjierfectious may be shortened. Be careful to note change in 

 position of ti^st pieces. 



(6) Mark butt end of each log with a large N on north side. Saw off simarely from the bottom end of each log 

 a disk G inches long, and beyond the log measure cut oft' disks every 10 feet up to 2-iuch diameter. I'lace each disk on 

 its bottom cud, after having ascertained and marked the north and south line on top end. Split the disk with a sharp 

 hackini' knife and mallet along this line. Split from outside of the west half of the disk enough wood to leave a 

 prism 4 inches thick. Split from the east half two wedges with one plane in the south-north line and with their 

 wedge line through the heart of the disk; the outer arc to be about 4 inches. (See figures im opposite page.) 



Mark each piece as split ort' on top side with number of the tree (.\rabie), the serial number (Roman) of the disk 

 in the tree beginning with No. 1 at butt log, and with a distinct N or S, the north or south position of the piece as 

 in the tree. 



Write the same data on a card and tack it to the piece to which they belong. Whenever disk pieces are small 

 enougli for mailing leave them entire. Whenever they can not be shipped by mail leave disks entire, wrap in paper, 

 and shiji by express. 



(7) Weigh each piece and record weight in notebook, using the same marks as api>ear on the pieces. 



(8) Wrap each piece in two sheets of heavy wra]>ping paper aud tie securely. 



(9) Mark on the newly cut bottom end of each log with a heavy pencil a north and south line, writing N on 

 the north aud S on the south side of the log, large and distinct. Also mark centrally with an Arabic number on 

 each log the number of the tree in the series, and with a distinct R(UMau uiiMiber the serial number of the log in the 

 tree, counting the butt log as first. 



' Only men familiar with felling and cutting timber should be chosen. 



