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MEASUREMENT OF FELLED TREES. 



CHAPTER 11. 



MEASUREMENT OF FELLED TREES. 



The methods of measuring the various dimensions of felled 

 trees have been explained in Chapter I. In this place the 

 measurement of the volume will be dealt with. 



Each tree consists of a stem or trunk, branches and roots. 

 These have peculiar shapes of their own, which differ con- 

 siderably ; hence they must be considered separately. 



1. Volume of the Stem. 



If the stem, or trunk, of a tree had a regular or distinct shape, 

 its volume could be calculated direct by means 

 of a formula corresponding to that particular 

 shape. As a matter of fact, the stem shows 

 different shapes in different parts of the tree. 

 Again, the shape of trees differs widely 

 according to species, the ages of the trees, 

 and the conditions under which they have 

 grown up, whether in the open or in a crowded 

 wood. At the same time, trees of the same 

 species and age, which have grown under the 

 same conditions, generally show shapes, which 

 are nearly identical. Moreover, experience 

 has shown, that each part of the stem shows 

 approximately a constant form. Thus the 

 uppermost part, a (Fig. 21), of an undivided 

 stem has generally the shape of a cone, the 

 lowest part, c, that of a truncated semi-cubical 

 paraboloid, while the bulk between these 

 extremes approaches in shape a truncated 

 Appollonian paraboloid, or a cylinder. 



