196 The Farm Woodlot 



VALUATION SURVEY 



An accurate record of the amount of timber on a given 

 tract may be secured by the following method. One 

 man may do it but three can work more economically. 

 A number of tally sheets such as that in the table on page 

 198 should be prepared and placed in a convenient holder. 

 Starting at one corner of the tract, the party moves parallel 

 to one of the adjacent boundaries, two of the men measur- 

 ing with calipers all the trees on a strip 66 feet, or one chain, 

 or 4 rods, wide, and the third man recording the results 

 on the tally sheet. These measurements should always be 

 taken 4§ feet from the ground. The trees on the inside of 

 the strip are scratched with a bark marker or marked with 

 chalk to avoid measuring them twice. The tally man may 

 measure the length of the strip by means of a chain 66 feet 

 long, attached to his belt. An experienced man can pace 

 the distance accurately enough. Such a strip ten chains 

 long contains one acre. For convenience in figuring out 

 the result, the acres should be kept on separate sheets. 

 When the end of the tract is reached, the party turns and 

 runs another strip contiguous to the first. In this way the 

 whole tract is covered. Not only are all the trees on the 

 tract recorded according to diameter and species, but, 

 by noting on the back of each sheet the nature of the coun- 

 try traversed, data may also be secured for a fairly accurate 

 map and the area of the tract is measured. If such an 

 accurate survey is not desired, the strips may be run by 

 compass at any interval desired. Strips every ten chains 

 give 10 per cent, twenty chains 5 per cent, and forty 

 chains 2J per cent of the tract. Ten per-cent measure- 



