MEMORANDUM ON CLASSIFICATION OF STANDING TIMIJER. 8 1 



be divided by the number of stems in the group, and the result 

 will be the basal area of the average tree. A tree with the same 

 basal area as that of the average tree determined in this fashion, 

 and of average form and height, can then be felled, and its 

 contents measured and multiplied by the number of trees in the 

 group. 



The forester or ground officer will usually, however, be satisfied 

 with making a careful inspection of the trees without going to 

 the trouble of recallipering the stems at breast-height, and will 

 judge by the eye what he considers to be an average stem for 

 the particular group or class. Either one average stem or a 

 few average stems can then be felled if necessary, and measure- 

 ments made to determine the cubical contents or the lineal feet, 

 as the case may be. 



6. Women's Labour in Forestry. 



By Mary Sutherland, B.Sc.(For.). 



In consequence of the universal shortage of labour, the employ- 

 ment of women in various branches of forestry work has been 

 an innovation employed in many districts during the last twelve 

 months. Formerly, women's labour for nursery work and 

 planting was the rule on many estates, but in later years the 

 practice has become much restricted, and the work is now done 

 by the permanent staff of foresters. 



Obviously, there is much of the work of the forest labourer 

 which can only be done by men, and though, under present 

 conditions, women are undertaking light felling and much of the 

 work in connection with big timber felling, their employment in 

 this is probably not sound forestry from the economic point of 

 view. Yet there is much of the labour in the formation and 

 tending of woodlands which economically can and should be 

 done by women. If they were employed on all the lighter forms 

 of estate forest work, the staff of men foresters could give more 

 time to the heavy work necessary for the systematic tending of 

 grown woods, and the work of the estate could thus be carried 

 on in such a way as to include various operations, which at 

 present are often neglected, and as they result in increased value 

 of the woods, are financially justifiable. This would, naturally, 

 make an increase in the wages bill, as women's labour should 



VOL. XXXII. PART I. F 



