208 GOVERNMENT REGULATION AND WORKING PLANS 



piled fuel. Cordwood is frequently sold by the ton; this is an excellent 

 system. It compensates at once for species and for seasoning. For 

 the measurements of log lengths the French prefer a melastic tape, and 

 for diameter ^ an accurate adjustable caliper to take maximum and mini- 

 mum diameters, or a diameter tape if only one measurement can be 

 taken. The French policy is clearly to avoid unnecessary and costly ac- 

 curacy when something less exact will serve just as well. 



Volume Tables. — Volume tables for estimating the cubic (metric) 

 contents of standing timber are simpler and more standardized in France 

 than in the United States. There are no volume tables in use which give 

 the contents of trees in terms of the manufactured product. The fol- 

 lowing classes of volume tables are used: 



(1) A "universal" table, based on diameter, total height, and taper 

 of a tree (there are also tables giving contents of cylinders of given 

 diameter and length which must be reduced by a form factor). 



(2) Merchantable log length table, especially designed for standards 

 or for high forest trees, based on diameter and the merchantable length 

 of the bole (to a top Umit of 9.8 inches) classified by 2 or.4 meter lengths 

 (6.5 to 13.1 feet). 



(3) Cordwood tables, based on the diameter of standards and whether 

 (a) very branchy, (b) average, (c) mediocre, or (d) few branches. 



(4) Local volume tables for (a) total or (6) merchantable contents in 

 cubic meters based on diameter alone are common and are usually based 

 on the type (1) table and on local diameter and height measurements. 

 It is customary to give the name of forest, working group, year table was 

 made, author, soil, part of tree included, silvicultural system, species, 

 altitude, and general quahty. 



Cordwood from the top or from branches is estimated by using a ratio 

 of the bole; this varies with the species, height of the tree, age, top cutting 

 limit for saw timber, and silvicultural system. The results are naturally 

 subject to wide variations. An average figure for oak high forest is 

 60 per cent to 75 per cent saw timber with 25 per cent to 40 per cent fuel 

 (of this fuel one-third is fagots); for beech the figures for saw timber 

 would be 10 per cent to 20 per cent less; for fir or spruce 80 per cent to 

 90 per cent saw timber and 20 per cent to 10 per cent fuel. But in statis- 

 tical computations the French usually figure that 100 cubic meters gross 

 yield of standing timber will give in (a) hardwoods, 80 cubic meters of 

 timber and 20 cubic meters (equal to 30 stacked steres) of fuel; in (6) 

 softwood, 90 cubic meters of timber and 10 cubic meters (15 steres) of 

 fuel. 



' Huffel thinks there may be a 5 to 10 per cent difference between the measurements 

 and volume computation of a lot of large irregular logs even if great care is taken. 

 Much of the data which follows is from Huffel, Vol. II. 



