BLAZES AND MARKS ON TREES. 41 



BLAZES AND MARKS ON TREES. 



Trees should never be blazed nor marked upon random 

 or trial lines nor upon other preliminary or temporary 

 surveys, where they may be misleading in the future. 



A survey line is Hazed in order that it may be located 

 or retraced between corners which are at each end of 

 the line. Corners and intersections are witnessed by 

 marks. Thus the ax scars used in surveying may be 

 either blazes or marks, one term being applied to a 

 line and the other to a point. In some books on 

 surveying these terms have been used interchangeably 

 or carelessly, but it is better to make the distinction in 

 the Forest Service, where surveying is done for so 

 many different purposes. 



A survey line is Hazed in the following manner: 

 Trees which are on the line are blazed fore and back, 

 meaning that the surveyor took a foresight when run- 

 ning toward the tree and a backsight when running 

 away from it, on the same straight line. Such a tree is 

 called a line tree and is spoken of as being line-blazed. 

 Trees standing near the line, within 50 links on either 

 side, are blazed on two sides quartering toward the line. 



Blazes for roads need not be permanent because the 

 subsequent construction of the highway fixes the line. 

 Property lines should be permanently blazed that is, 

 through the bark to the wood, leaving a scar which 

 may be recognized or found as long as the tree stands. 

 Blazes should be the width of an ax blade, about 6 

 inches long, and placed breast high. When it is 

 probable that the blazes will be used when there is 

 deep snow upon the ground, they should be placed 

 high enough to be seen, or the trees may be given a 



