72 REPORT OF THE 



upon it either by general estimate, or by counting the trees, or by estimating the 

 volumes of the individual trees. In dense stands where the trees cannot readily 

 be counted a flag may be placed at the center. The estimator then paces south 

 5 rods and west 5 rods, which brings him to the center of the southwest quarter 

 of the square. He estimates this part, then paces 10 rods north, where he estimates 

 the northwest quarter, then 10 rods east for the northeast quarter, and finally 10 

 rods south, where he completes the estimate of the 23/2-acre square. He then goes 

 to the flag and carries it 20 rods north, to the center of the second square, which 

 he estimates as he did the first. Thus, he goes through the stand estimating 2^ 

 acres at each station. 



In stands that are not dense, where the trees are all to be counted, this method 

 will be found quite satisfactory. In dense timber the estimator feels the difficulty 

 of estimating different distances for the corners of the square and the centers of 

 the sides. When there is necessity of pacing a square within the 2^-acre square, 

 as described, the method has no advantage over the strip method and is more 

 cumbersome. 



If numerous small separated areas are to be estimated, the circle method has 

 the advantage in that the distance of the boundary line from the center is constant, 

 and hence less perplexing. 



THE MICHIGAN METHOD. 



In this method it is customary to estimate strips 40 rods wide. The estimator 

 is assisted by a lineman, who runs a compass line along one side of the strip and 

 measures the length of it by pacing. The estimator passes back and forth across 

 the strip and counts the trees. He measures the distance from one side to the 

 other by pacing whenever his direction is away from the compass man. By means 

 of a police whistle he signals to the lineman to move forward or halt as necessity 

 requires. Whenever the strip reaches the length of half a mile a record is made of 

 the fact that 40 acres have been estimated. As the method is intended to be 

 somewhat thorough, the strips are run adjacent to each other, the estimator run- 

 ning his lines 40 rods apart. It is difficult, however, to reach with the method a 

 satisfactory degree of accuracy. With a method that endeavors to count all the 

 trees, some trees are counted twice, while others are overlooked, the latter of which 

 is likely to occur more frequently than the former. In several comparisons of the 

 method with that of actual measurement which have come under the author's 

 observation, in each case the estimate fell much below the measurement. 



There are two or three other methods of estimating in common use in Germany, 



