LIBRARY 



N, C. State Colleg 



e 



PREFACE 



The problems in this handbook were originally prepared as an aid to the 

 laboratory instruction in forest mensuration at the University of Washington, 

 and were first published by the authors in 1915. Numerous changes and addi- 

 tions were made in this edition, particularly with reference to making them more 

 generally useful to the practical field and office men and more generally applicable 

 to all sections of the country. In the few instances where they are not applicable 

 they can readily be made so by slight modifications at the instance of the instructor 

 in charge. 



In each problem the forms for recording and for working up the data have 

 been definitely indicated. It has been found that this will result in greater 

 uniformity and better standards of comparison for the work of the individual 

 students. Although different schools are using forms that differ in some of the 

 details they can readily be made applicable by adopting form numbers to coincide 

 with those adopted in this handbook. These forms are illustrated in the Appendix 

 on pages 90 to 97. 



In the preparation of the handbook the object has not been to present a 

 complete series of problems covering the entire field of forest mensuration, but 

 rather a series of carefully selected type exercises which may be used as practical 

 illustrations to supplement the recitation and text-book work. A number of the 

 newer methods recently developed but not yet thoroughly established have been 

 purposely omitted. References to various new methods will be found in the 

 Appendix, in connection with the Bibliography. The authors have included only 

 problems of standard character. 



It is hoped that the value of the handbook will be due as much to what is 

 omitted as to what is actually included. Ex-perience has shown that a few funda- 

 mental type exercises, carefully worked out in the field and laboratory, and their 

 relation to associated problems then brought out in class-room discussions will 

 give the student a more thorough grounding in the subject than a multitude of 

 exercises hurriedly worked over but not assimilated. 



A second feature sought in these problems is the elimination of an undue 

 amount of duplication in clerical work. The function of a university is to teach 

 the how and the wherefore. Our time is too limited to use more than a reasonable 

 amount of it for drill work, and it has been our experience that clerical drudgery 

 often obscures the fundamental object of an exercise. Though a student works 

 over only a limited number of data in the field or laboratory this is no excuse for 



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