42 THE WOODSMAN'S HANDBOOK. 



Frequent measuring is especially important on small scales 

 where a Forest officer is not always present, because sawyers are 

 more apt to be lax in measuring than when an officer is daily 

 checking lengths. 



Logs will be scaled in odd lengths if provided for in the contract. 



All diameters will be measured inside the bark at the top end 

 of the log. If logs are not round, sealers will average the 

 greatest diameter inside the bark at the top end of the log, with the 

 diameter at right angles to this. The necessary reduction in 

 diameter will be made for swelling at the scaling end of a log when 

 no lumber can be produced from it. 



Diameters will be rounded off to the nearest inch above or below 

 the actual diameter. 



Any portion of a log which contains a fault which prevents its 

 manufacture into merchantable lumber is cull, and will not be 

 scaled and charged to the purchaser. 



The following defects are most common : 



Uniform center or circular rot, circular shake, pin dots, ground 

 or stump rot, cat-face, dote at side of log extending to the bark, 

 burns or defect caused by lightning extending along side of log, 

 defect caused by lightning extending along the log in spiral form, 

 punky or soft sap, deep checks or seams, dote appearing in knots, 

 curve or sweep, crooks, crotches, and blue sap. 



In general, a log containing sufficient sound material to saw 

 out a quantity of lumber equal to one-third of its contents as 

 given by the scale rule is termed "merchantable." 



The term "sound material" is here used to signify such mate- 

 rial as will produce lumber grading not below No. 3 common, or 

 the lowest grade commonly merchantable. Supervisors will, 

 wherever advisable, furnish sealers with specifications of No. 3 

 common lumber, or the lowest grade commonly merchantable, 

 from the grading rules of the recognized lumber associations in the 

 vicinity of their forests. These may, if advisable, be confined or 

 altered to meet the local demands. The sealer is not expected to 

 be a grader, but the grading rules will assist him in determining 

 where to draw the line between merchantable and unmerchantable 

 timber. 



Ties may be sold by the piece or they may be actually scaled, 

 or they may be counted and the number multiplied by the aver- 

 age contents. The following contents may be used: 



