SOME PROBLEMS IN APPALACHIAN TIMBER APPRAISAL 325 



at the then current prices of timber, and the sale prices cover certain 

 carrying and administrative charges. 



The Government has practically fixed the prices of certain classes 

 of rough cut-over land. Six years ago such lands had no legitimate 

 market value, and should the Government retire from the market, it is 

 problematical what would again be their selling prices. 



This outlines the general scope of Government appraisal. In its 

 conduct, in addition to the major problems required in determining 

 volume, in grading timber, and in engineering, the solution of which 

 can be effected only by intimate knowledge, there have appeared cer- 

 tain minor problems. The methods of handling them may be of assi.st- 

 ance to others w^ho are interested in timber appraisal work. Some of 

 these problems would seem to be peculiar to Appalachian forests and 

 the economic conditions under which they are now being operated. 

 The most important have been : 



1. The adaptation of volume tables to closeness of utilization. 



2. The correlation of volume cruise with lumberman's stumpage 

 appraisal for different species. 



3. The adjustment of intensity of volume cruise to local conditions. 



4. The determination of grades and defect. 

 ."). The appraisal of small trees. 



(). Personnel. 



Some of these problems the operator, trained in the region, dis- 

 poses of almost intuitively; others are handled by his skilled employes; 

 while some of the fundamentals are determined by him only upon 

 the completion of the operation. ]>ilany engineering probleiis might 

 be embraced in this category. These, in the case of Government 

 appraisals, are carefully worked out for each case, the plan of develop- 

 rnent being adapted to suit the topography. - th^ class of timber, 

 and the size of the operation. While standardization of procedure 

 is desired, every effort is used to prevent the employment of general- 

 ized figures. 



There is, so far as my experience goes, no short cut either to 

 volume cruise'' or stumpage appraisal in the Appalachians. It is 



^ The usual though not the exclusive method of volume survey which has been 

 employed is to gridiron a tract by parallel, chain-wide strips, evenly spaced, the 

 distance apart determining the intensity of the cruise. All merchantable trees on 

 these strips are measured, each species being tallied for saw timber by diameter 

 classes and number of 16-foot logs; ties, poles and other minor products are also 

 tallied. The stand, or volume in board feet, of the trees tallied for saw timber is then 



