286 FELLING AND CONVERSION OF TIMBER. 



dimensions in different countries ; in Germany, Switzerland, 

 Austria, France and Italy the unit is generally a stacked cubic 

 meter (Raummeter in German, or stere in French*). 



It is, however, usual, even when the wood is measured in 

 stacked cubic meters, to place three or four steres of wood in a 

 stack approaching in volume to the old customary measures ; 

 the usual number is then 3 steres, but 1 and 2 steres are 

 sometimes employed. The normal length of the billets 

 in a stack is 1 meter, but especially in the case of cloven 

 timber this may be varied. The length of the pieces is 

 considered as the width of the stack, and its other dimensions 

 are termed length and height. Thus, for 1 meter of width, we 

 have for 



Meters. Meters. 



4 steves 



1 2 ,, 2 



q f 3 ,, 1 



I 2 1-50 



" 



2 



T25 



*- 



[In the fuel supplied to the British army atChakrata in North- 

 ern India, the stacks are 21 feet long X 5^ feet high and 2 feet 

 wide ; this is supposed to contain 200 cubic feet, 1 foot in 

 length and foot in height being allowed for shrinkage. Tr.] 



The stacks should not be too high, especially on sloping 

 ground and with coarse split roots or heavy wood, and usually 

 the height should not exceed 5 feet; high stacks only increase 

 labour and are liable to fall. 



The usual size of brushwood-faggots is, with the exception 

 of fascines, of the same girth and length as an ordinary split 

 billet. 



(b) Site for Stacks. In selecting the site of a stack, damp 

 places must be avoided ; a ridge is preferable, if available. 



As a rule, two sufficiently long stakes are driven vertically 



* [In France, (he ordinary cord 9 ft. x 3& ft. X 2$ ft. = 3 steres. (The 

 French foot = 1 ft. P in., Kn^lish measure). In Knuhind, llic cord is either 

 216 c. feet = 12' x <V x 'A' and is then called a fathom and nearly = 6 sti-n-s, 

 or 108 c. feet = 3 gferes, or 72 c. feet = 2 st-n-s, as in America, Tr.] 



