206 HOW TO FIND THE VALUE OF 



assistants thus furnished, the valuator proceeds 

 by causing the man with the ladder to hold it 

 to a tree, while the other goes upon it, and with 

 his rod measures the height of the tree as he 

 proceeds upwards. Having ascertained the entire 

 height, as far as may be considered measurable 

 timber, he again measures downwards, one half of 

 the height of the tree, in order to take the girth at 

 that part, for the calculating of the side of the 

 square ; and in this manner the valuator proceeds 

 from one tree to another, noting down the dimen- 

 sions as he proceeds. Now, as to correctness, this 

 method would do very well, provided that there 

 were no branches upon the trees ; and, no doubt, 

 the operators always choose that side of a tree 

 which is most free from branches ; but notwith- 

 standing, there are few trees which, in taking a 

 straight line from top to bottom, have not several 

 branches to intercept the object. And this is what 

 makes their measurement so very incdrrect; for 

 when the man with the pole has his line of mea- 

 surement intercepted by one or two branches, he 

 generally has to change his position upon the tree, 

 and this often many times in the ascent of one 

 tree ; — often causing consequently a defect of several 

 feet in the value of one tree, either less or more, 

 MrMonteith,the well-known author of the Forester s 

 Guide, invented an instrument which wrought with 

 a wheel, in taking the height of a tree, and with 



