SITE DETERMINATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND APPLICATION 555 



the volume tables were made. Granted that one knew the site upon 

 which the volume tables were made, it would mean computing out the 

 method for all sites before finding the application of the volume tables. 



It would appear that Medwiedew's method, as modified, can be 

 eliminated from the list of competitors. 



Soil classification is used to some extent in the determination of 

 site, and theoretically this method is correct. For tree growth is cer- 

 tainly dependent upon certain definite factors of growth, and, given 

 these factors, why should not the determination of the site be based on 

 determining the amounts of these factors in the site? The answer is 

 because the determination of these factors is too technical, too laborious, 

 and too complex for general use. The great number of factors which 

 influence tree growth make a complexity of conditions that is impossi- 

 ble to analyze. There is climate with its temperature and rainfall and 

 humidity; there are the physical and chemical conditions of the soil, 

 and each is determined qnly at much expense and time. The practical 

 field work would require, among other things, the boring of deep holes 

 with soil augurs, the labeling and carrying of little samples of earth, 

 their value determinations later, and the coordination of these samples. 

 The investigator would have to make an investigation of the drainage 

 conditions. Besides, these investigations of the factors which control 

 tree growth are not yet well enough done and the effects of the factors 

 are not yet sufficiently well known to interpret their meaning with 

 much certainty. Even the best investigations of farm land give results 

 which are known to be quite uncertain as to value. 



All in all, however, this method of determining site by the cause 

 of site rather than by the effect of site (as other methods aim to do) is 

 too complex and tedious for practical woods work. 



The volume yield of a definite area of even-aged stands is the most 

 generally accepted criterion of site quality. The method comes from 

 Europe, except that the foresters in the United States use volume as 

 measured by the indirect and unsatisfactory board foot instead by the 

 cubical contents, as is done abroad. That the volume yield of stands, 

 as a criterion for site is not adapted to wild woods work is easily 

 shown. 



Any measure which depends upon a set unit of area (as an acre) 

 for its application cannot be used in the wild woods where the stands 

 are badly broken and hardly any two areas contain the same amount of 

 timber, and despite the fact that the two areas have dififerent amounts 



