COMMENT. 



An insert published with this issue is to correct a number of 

 errors which have occurred in the previous volume arising from 

 the use of an erroneous factor of conversion from metric into 

 foot board measure. 



This leads us to make some observations' on points to be con- 

 sidered when handling and especially when converting German 

 figures into our measure. In the first place the forester should 

 realize early that all his measurements (except in some special 

 scientific work) are merely approximations to the truth and 

 mostly averages. Hence it is ridiculous to attempt to be accurate 

 to tenths, hundredths, and even thousandths. Fractions are al- 

 most invariably unnecessary, a rounding oE to full figures is 

 almost invariably preferable, and often a rounding off to tens, 

 hundreds and even thousands is nearer the truth than a statement 

 to units. For instance, a statement of the forest area of a coun- 

 try to units is really ridiculous, for there is no survey accurate 

 enough to permit such a statement. Here accuracy to thousands 

 of acres will convey to the reader better than a more detailed 

 figure the status of things. To be sure, when a single forest 

 property is concerned in a commercial transaction, it is quite a 

 different matter. 



Still more ridiculous may become attempts to state with pains- 

 taking accuracy relationships, as for instance yield table state- 

 ments, especially if expressed in board measure, say to the foot. 

 Not only do we know that the original measurements are capable 

 of widest variation, but the variety of standards and log rules 

 is such that a statement to hundreds and even thousands is all 

 that we may accept as within the limits of attainable accuracy. 

 Hence why burden the reader with the untruth contained in the 

 closer figures? 



The painstaking accuracy is particularly ill advised when trans- 

 lating statistics and other data from foreign measures into our 

 own, for the simple reason that not only do the data themselves 

 partake of the same uncertainty (although sometimes not to the 

 same extent) as our own, but the conversion factors for prac- 

 tical handling are. for practical reasons, shortened, introducing 



