14 Forest Mensuration 



PARAGRAPH XXII. 



FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SOLID CONTENTS OF CORDWOOD. 



The solid contents of wood stacks depend on the size and the form of 

 the pieces composing them and on the method of piling. The solid con- 

 tents of a cord can be found only by the methods described in Para- 

 graphs XX. and XXI. The European experiment stations have collected 

 data to that end on a very large scale, and have established the following 

 laws: 



a. The bigger the pieces of wood in a stack, the larger are the solid 

 contents of the stack. 



b. The longer the pieces of wood, the smaller are the solid contents 

 of the stack. 



c. Pieces piled parallel and tightly greatly increase the solid contents 

 of the stack. 



d. During the drying process, hardwoods shrink approximately by 

 12%, and soft woods by 9%. The shrinkage is partly offset by the 

 cracking of wood. 



These rules are important in the pulp, tanningwood and firewood trade. 



PARAGRAPH XXIII. 



REDUCING FACTORS FOR CORDWOOD. 



The countries using the metric system pile wood in space cubic meters. 

 One space cubic meter equals .274 cord. The pieces contained therein 

 are 3.28 feet long. For such conditions the following figures hold good : 



a. First class split wood, obtained from sound pieces 12 inches in 

 diameter, contains per cord 102.4 cubic feet of solid wood (reducing fac- 

 tor 80%). 



b. Composed of inferior split wood, obtained from round pieces having 

 a diameter of 6 inches, a cord contains 96 cubic feet of solid wood (re- 

 ducing factor 75%). 



c. In heavy, round branch wood (diameters of about 6 l / 2 inches) 

 87 cubic feet of solid wood are found in a cord (reducing factor 68%). 



d. In round pieces of branch wood, 4 inches in diameter, 77 cubic 

 feet are found in a cord (reducing factor 60%). 



e. In faggots, 25 to 51 cubic feet make a cord (reducing factor 20% 

 to 40%). 



The percentages for broad leafed species are smaller than those for 

 conifers, owing to the latter's straight growth. 



At Biltmore, one cord of 8 foot split oak contains about 80 cubic feet ; 

 one cord of kindling finely split about 90 cubic feet; one cord of blocks 

 12 inches long about 100 cubic feet of solid wood. 



