THE PRODUCE OF WOODS AND PLANTATIONS. 171 



done thus — Lot 1 is numbered \, -f-, f, and so on up to 6 T °. Lot 2 

 is numbered ^, f , -|, and so on up to 6 2 ; and lot 3 is numbered ^, 

 |, §, and so on to the end of the third lot. In each case the upper 

 iigure represents the number of trees, and the lower figure the 

 number of the lot in the catalogue. 



Having marked all the trees by one of the preceding systems, the 

 next thing is to advertise the sale, and get the catalogue printed and 

 widely circulated. Previous to the day of sale I measure and value 

 the whole of the lots, inserting particulars in a sale book kept for 

 the purpose. The sale book is divided into columns, with the 

 following headings : — 1st, Date of sale; 2d, No. of lot; 3d, Name 

 of plantation ; 4th, No. of trees ; 5th, Description of timber ; 6th, 

 No. of loads ; 7th, Average measure per tree ; 8th, Eate per load ; 

 9th, Forester's valuation; 10th, Price realised at sale; 11th, Ee- 

 marks ; and, 12th, Purchasers' name and address. The first nine of 

 these columns are filled in previous to the day of sale. Of course 

 the three last can only be filled in after the timber is sold. A book 

 of this description is absolutely necessary in order to see that the 

 timber sells at its full value, and it is also an excellent reference 

 book in after years. 



To those unaccustomed to measure growing timber, it will appear 

 a laborious undertaking to measure and value two or three thousand 

 growing trees. It is not so difficult, however, as many people 

 imagine, and an expert hand will easily measure from 800 to 1000 

 trees in a day. We keer a staff of six or eight labourers to show 

 the lots and assist in measuring the timber, and a few days before 

 the sale the whole of them are employed with different parties. 

 Each timber merchant requires two assistants; one carries a long 

 pole marked in feet, and the other a leather strap which indicates 

 the side of the square. In going to work, the man with the pole 

 declares the height of the tree in feet; the man with the strap the 

 side of the square in inches; and the timber merchant refers to his 

 sliding ride for the contents. The measurer has to allow an inch and 

 sometimes more, for the taper of the tree from where the girth is 

 taken, to the centre of the portion he is measuring. Of course this 

 is measuring with a centre girth, but an experienced measurer never 

 goes higher than half the circumference of the butt, and adds the 

 number of feet he considers the tree contains above that point. 

 All these things are puzzling to a beginner, but it is astonishing 

 how accurate an old practitioner's work is. Some people contend 

 that it is impossible to give an approximation of the contents of 



