FORM FACTOKS 



to take account of these small "tops," in order to avoid 

 confusion and unnecessary detail, inasmuch as data are 

 given for the crops in their early stages. In the follow- 

 ing tables the value of timber below 6 inches quarter 

 girth may be taken at from 8d. to Is. 6d. per tree, 

 except in the case of young Larch trees, where a some- 

 what greater value has been adopted. So, also, when 

 small timber or poles are sold, they are usually sold at 

 a fixed price "per ton" or "per 100," but in these 

 tables the prices have (generally) been taken at so much 

 " per foot," in order, again, to avoid unnecessary detail. 



Inasmuch as prices vary so much and so con- 

 stantly in different localities, it will be necessary in 

 many cases for those who use these tables to value the 

 timber according to the prices prevailing in their own 

 districts, and to make their own calculations as to the 

 profits that may be expected. 



However, the following tables can be applied with- 

 out alteration to very many districts, and even if altera- 

 tions in the prices are necessary, the relative position as 

 regards any particular crop will not necessarily be 

 altered. 



It will be noticed that the felled thinnings have 

 been valued on the same basis as the standing timber 

 of the final crop. The reason for so doing is to 



avoid unnecessary detail and to make some allowance 

 for the fact that "thinnings" scattered over an area 

 are not so easily saleable as is the timber of a final 

 crop. 



Form Factors.- The use of "Form Factors" 

 affords a very ready method of determining approxi- 

 mately tfae^Tolume of any particular wood or crop of 

 trees. They can only be expected to give correct average 

 results, so that when applied to any particular tree, 

 there will, as often as not, be a considerable error in 

 the volume of timber so estimated. 



When estimating the contents of a tree by their use, 

 the quarter girth is taken at 5 feet l from the ground, 

 and then the total length to the very top of the tree is 

 found, and then the contents of a log with such a length 

 and quarter girth are found. The contents thus found 

 are of course far too great. Therefore they are reduced 

 by multiplying by the " form factor," by which means the 

 correct contents (to 3 inches in diameter) are obtained. 

 It will thus be apparent that the use of form factors 

 avoids the necessity of carefully measuring standing 



1 Continental form factors are usually made referable to measure- 

 ments taken at 4 feet 3 inches from the ground. 



