SOME PR0BLP:MS in APPALACHIAN TIMBER APPRAISAL 329 



over a certain and perhaps limited portion of the tract. He conse- 

 quently bases his forecast of the average mill value of the lumber 

 (from which he derives his stumpage value) upon the inclusion of 

 only this small removable per cent of such grades of lumber (usually 

 No. 3 common) in the mill cut. In case the volumetric cruise includes 

 all of this grade of logs, this might add 5 to 10 per cent to 

 the volume of timber on the tract. At the same time the lumberman- 

 appraiser's stumpage values, based on the elimination of logs of this 

 grade, may be from 5 to 10 per cent higher than would be the case 

 had all logs of this grade been included by him in fixing his mill-run 

 price. This results in a dual error; not only is the volume of the 

 merchantable timber excessive but stumpage values are too high, the 

 error in the result being the sum of the two. 



There is but little difficulty in the elimination of entire trees of 

 certain species from the volume cruise as the specimens become small 

 on account of site or as logging costs increase. The experienced 

 cruiser who has studied the conditions of the tract almost auto- 

 niatically does this even without having an operating or logging plan. 

 TTis judgment may sometimes lead to the inclusion or to the omission 

 of a few trees along a narrow zone which in the opinion of the lum- 

 berman-appraiser should have been given different consideration ; but 

 most men with two or more years' experience who are capable of 

 acting either as chief of party or assuming responsibility as a volume 

 cruiser can determine in a reasonable manner the profitable limits of 

 logging in a section with which they are generally familiar. 



The Adjustment of Intensity of Cruise to Local Conditions 



Preliminary to beginning the cruise and before the base line is 

 located, a general examination of each tract is made by chief of party to 

 determine the topography of the tract and to ascertain whether the tim- 

 ber is uniformly distributed or in groups. It is desirable, so far as possi- 

 ble, that the strips should cross the salient topographic features either 

 ;it right angles or obliquely, and should not coincide with drainage lines 

 and crests or ridges. When the timber is uniformly distributed a 

 cruise varying in intensity from 5 to 10 per cent is sufficient. When 

 timber is in groups and particularly on small tracts, a cruise of such 

 intensity is not sufficient, and it is necessary either to increase the inten- 

 sity of the cruise o\ er the entire tract by running the strips more closely 

 together or by retaining a low degree of intensity over upper slopes 



