CHAPTER XXVIIL 



TIMBEB MEASURING. 



To those who are not practically acquainted with the 

 measuring of home-grown timber the following brief 

 remarks in elucidation of the subject will be useful. It 

 may, however, be well to mention that timber-measuring 

 is rather a vexed question, some following what is known 

 as Hoppus's system, and others advocating that of Horton. 

 As the former is that generally in practice amongst timber 

 merchants in this country, and consequently of greatest 

 value to the forester, it will be followed up here. 



Regarding the timber-measurer's equipment it may first 

 be necessary to say a few words. This consists of a 66 ft. 

 Chesterman's tape-line, or instead of this a 5 ft. wooden 

 rod, standard girt-strap, scribe knife, and bent piece of iron, 

 with eye at end for drawing the girt-strap beneath such 

 trees as the arm cannot readily pass under. 



A piece of thin whipcord or string is frequently used for 

 girthing timber, but as the elasticity of this varies greatly, 

 and has in many instances led to dispute, a much fairer plan, 

 and one that is liable to no abuse is to use the 12 ft. girt 

 strap, upon which every inch in length is reckoned . 

 The proper quarter girth can, on this strap be seen at a 

 glance, and by adopting it the usual trickery to which the 

 string and rule is liable is quite done away with. 



For entering measurements the most convenient book 

 is that 9 in. by 4 in., with stiff pasteboard covers, ruled with 



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