200 A MANUAL FOR NORTHERN WOODSMEN 



the section, which involves a cost of about 25 cents per 

 acre outside of the checking, overhead and office work. 

 Ordinary variations are: 



a. Double running each forty instead of running four 

 times through it as above, a method widely practiced as 

 costing less and considered sufficiently accurate in many 

 circumstances. The cruise lines in this case are started 

 5, 15, 25, etc. chains from the section corner to divide 

 the area equally. Sometimes, also, the strip is widened. 



6. For preliminary work, one strip only may be run 

 per quarter mile, and after a certain amount of that with 

 its results in training, even this may be discontinued and 

 a man rely on general observation. 



c. A 100 per cent cruise is carried out in some cases. 

 In this case a second compassman may advantageously 

 be employed and the cruiser work between lines run and 

 marked by the two men, the exact width of the strip 

 being then of no consequence. Sometimes, also, a second 

 estimator is employed to take care of certain classes of the 

 timber. 



d. Some men, instead of , estimating the timber on 

 strips, estimate circular areas so spaced along the compass 

 line that they touch one another. For this practice it is 

 claimed that a man can do better estimating work stand- 

 ing quietly at a center than while travelling, with his 

 mind more or less distracted about footing, etc. In 

 earlier times indeed a circular plot system was general, 

 while another usual procedure was to count the trees on 

 these circles or on strips to the length of one tally, and 

 derive their contents from that of the average tree as 

 estimated. Few follow this last practice at present, 

 however. 



In conclusion on this branch of the subject, the follow- 

 ing, by a man of long experience and acknowledged com- 

 petence in this line of work, is introduced for the light it 

 throws on the broad aspects of the matter. 



We work in general by the strip system but under a less hard- 

 and-fast rule than formerly. More is left to the judgment of our 

 cruisers as to the number of runs through a subdivision ncrrs- 

 sary to secure correct results. Thus, if we find one forty that 



