144 ELEMENTARY FORESTRY. 



own estimators. The number of trees on typical areas, as an 

 acre in each forty, may be counted, and the sizes estimated. 

 Often all timber trees on a forty-acre lot are counted, and the 

 number of logs per 1,000 feet board measure estimated. 



For an inexperienced person a good method would be to 

 caliper all trees on typical areas of the tract, and then compute 

 the stand from the cross-sectional area and the average length of 

 timber stick, which could be estimated very closely after a little 

 practice. The greatest difficulty in this work lies in the selection 

 of typical areas and sample trees. All forestry measurements 

 and estimates are only approximations, and it is often found 

 necessary to modify working plans to meet new information 

 and changed conditions. 



MEASUREMENT OF LOGS AND LUMBER. 



I/ogs are Measured in Feet Board Measure by taking 

 the length and diameter at the small end, and by reference to a 

 table the corresponding number of feet board measure is found. 

 This is not usually accurate, but seems to be sufficiently so to 

 satisfy both buyer and seller in this state. Lumber is measured 

 in square feet of surface of a board one inch in thickness, com- 

 monly called board measure, or B. M., for short. 



Scaling I/ogs in Minnesota is a Simple Matter. It is 

 done after they are cut from the tree and marked, wherever con- 

 venient, in the woods, on skidways, on cars, on the river, or 

 elsewhere. For straight, sound logs no experience is necessary, 

 but for defective logs the sealer's judgment is depended upon to 

 make proper deduction, so as to get out good lumber. Private 

 sealers may be employed by those interested, but, to avoid possi- 

 ble litigation over sales, it is advisable to have the surveyor gen- 

 eral of logs and lumber for the district appoint an official sealer 

 to do the work. The sealers enter in a book carried for the pur- 

 pose the number of logs scaled, the length, the feet B. M., the 

 .number of each log if numbered, the section, township and range 

 where cut, and the markings. These books are kept on file in 

 the surveyor general's office for future reference. There are 

 seven lumber districts provided for by law in Minnesota, but in 

 only five has it been found necessary to open offices, namely, at 

 Stillwater, Minneapolis, Wabasha, Duluth and Crookston. 



