112 FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 



HANDLING THE FARM WOODLOT. 



By Carleton W. Eaton, Assistant Professor of Forestry. 



Contribution from the Forestry Department, 

 University of Maine. 



John M. Briscoe, Professor of Forestry. 



The vvoodlot has always been one of the Maine farmer's 

 chief assets. It is the source from which he derives nearly 

 20% of his income. The value of woodlot products increased 

 110% between 1900 and 1910. This value and the amount of 

 cutting are constantly increasing, and now there is universal 

 recognition of the fact that woodlots must be given some atten- 

 tion and care. 



Many inquiries have been received by the Extension service 

 in regard to estimating timber and log scaling and it is the 

 purpose of this bulletin to present this information in as prac- 

 tical a form as possible. It must be recognized however that to 

 make a close estimate of the contents of standing trees sound 

 training and experience are necessary, and log scaling becomes 

 difficult when much defect is found in the logs. Careful use of 

 the volume table method of estimating should give the esti- 

 mator a reasonably close figure even though he has not had pre- 

 vious experience, and the rule method should give him a means 

 of getting a quick approximation. The latter method is best 

 applied to pine and trees of good size. It is hoped that the 

 bulletin will provide the woodlot owner with a better means 

 of estimating his timber and suggest methods of selling timber 

 to greater advantage. 



Selling Woodlot Timber. 



Woodlot timber is constantly being sold for less than its 

 true value. There are many cases where it has been practically 

 given away or sold for less than half what it was worth. The 

 reason for this lies in the method by which it is sold. 



The easiest way in which the woodlot owner can throw away 

 money is to sell his stumpage at a price per acre, or for a lump 

 sum for the whole stand, without knowing pretty close how 



