142 THINNING. 



The next figure is 7, being 27fds from the end of 

 the strap, and so on. The cross stroke indicates .half 

 inches ; quarter inches for common practical purposes 

 are seldom used, but are indicated on the strap by a 

 dot, and may be used if required. The pole used for 

 taking the height is 14 feet long, marked feet and 

 half feet. The lowest mark is at 6 feet, at which 

 height the trees are mostly girthed; thus, by an ex- 

 peditious and simple process, the contents of the first 

 1 2 feet of the trunk are found. This is a simple, expe- 

 ditious, and safe method of measuring standing timber, 

 either for sale, transfer, or other purpose, — a method, 

 in the writer's experience, surpassing for speed and ac- 

 curacy all others that he has either himself tried or 

 heard of ; but one, at the same time, the accuracy of 

 which depends upon matured judgment and experience. 

 Though the use of the slide-rule is recommended 

 for casting up the contents of a tree, yet in extensive 

 practice it is seldom used. Having the length of the 

 section (or whole tree), as indicated by the pole and 

 the girth, by which the side of the square is shown, 

 as indicated on the strap, by passing it round the tree 

 the relative proportions of length, girth, and contents 

 soon become so familiar to the mind that no casting 

 up is required. A few examples wUl show this. Tak- 

 ing the section at 12 feet in length, the following are 

 the results sufl&ciently near for practical purposes : — 



12 ft. long, 6 in. side of the square, J of length, 3 ft. true contents. 



