414 Forestry Quarterly. 



4. Obtain the area of the burn as accurately as possible. A 

 suggestion would be to find the average length and average width 

 by means of strips run at right angles through the length and 

 breadth, respectively, of the burn. 



Find the proportion of the total area represented by the strips 

 and multiply this proportion by the total area: e. g. with an area 

 of 120 acres, strips aggregating 15 acres represent 1/8 or 12.5% 

 of the total; therefore, multiply the totals obtained from the 

 strips by 8. 



The estimate of damage to the merchantable timber, poles, and 

 reproduction, should not be made until at least four months after 

 the fire, since then the trees which will live or die can be dis- 

 tinguished with a greater degree of accuracy. 



The area for estimating the amount of damage to the forage 

 should be determined at the time the fire is extinguished. 



In cases which may be brought into court, great care should be 

 taken in making the estimate so that the amount of damage will 

 be the actual loss suffered. 



For the sake of clearness and simplicity, a single, specific case 

 of 500 acres, yellow pine forest on which everything, mature 

 timber, poles, reproduction, and forage, have been destroyed by 

 fire, will be taken as an example. 



The are contained before the fire: 1,500,000 feet of merchant- 

 able timber, 10,000 poles, 250 acres of good reproduction, and 

 250 acres of scattered reproduction, or a total of 300 acres* fully 

 stocked with reproduction ; and sufficient forage for 50 head of 

 cattle for one year. 



I. Value of Merchantable Timber: The area contained before 

 the fire 3 M. ft. B. M. of merchantable timber per acre, or i,- 

 500,000 feet. All this has been destroyed. The practice in this 

 country has heretofore been to consider the present stumpage 

 value of the timber destroyed as the loss incurred. This ignores 

 two factors : First, that the timber is generally inaccessible at 

 present ; and, second, when it does become accessible stumpage 

 rates will have risen. Ignoring these two factors generally re- 

 sults in giving too high a value to the timber lost. Taking these 

 two facts into consideration, a more correct present value will be 

 found, as follows : 



*See page 416. 



