182 PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 



in thickness, commonly called board measure or B. M., 

 for short. 



Scaling Logs in Ordinary Practice is a Simple Matter. 

 It is done after they are cut from the tree and marked, 

 wherever convenient 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 possible 

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

 general of logs and lumber for the district appoint an 

 official sealer to do the work. The sealers enter in a 

 book carried for the purpose the number of logs scaled, 

 the length, the feet B. M., the number of each log if num- 

 bered, the section, township, and range where cut, and the 

 markings. These books are kept on file in the surveyor- 

 general's office or elsewhere for future reference. 



There are Various Rules for the measuring of timber 

 in this country. Those most commonly used are the 

 Scribner and Doyle rules. 



The M innsota Law provides that Scribner's rule shall 

 be the only legal rule for the survey of logs in that State, 

 and that every log shall be surveyed by the largest num- 

 ber of even feet which it contains in length over ten feet 

 and under twenty-four feet, and all logs of twenty-four 

 feet or more shall be surveyed as two logs or more. As 

 to what Scribner's rule is, the law does not say, and yet 

 requires it to be posted in the offices of the surveyors- 

 general of logs and lumber. The table on page 183 is a 

 copy of Scribner's rule as posted there according to law. 



Doyle's Rule is most commonly used. It is, however, 

 open to the same objections as Scribner's rule, but is much 

 more unjust to logs under sixteen inches in diameter. This 

 rule is very simple and assumes that any log sixteen feet 



