KERRY WOODS. n 



II. METHODS OF MEASUREMENT AND DETAILS OF 

 GROWTH OF DIFFERENT SPECIES. 



Two fairly distinct series of woods come under consideration, 

 large area planted some 20-25 years, and second, a 

 smaller area of 40-60 years of age- Larch is the predominant 

 species, either pure or in mixture with various other species, while 

 Scotch pine and spruce have been grown both in mixture with the 

 above on a large scale and pure in comparatively small groups. 



The preliminary inspection of the woods brought out several 

 facts clearly. In the first place, it was obvious that Scotch pine 

 when grown pure is nowhere a success, and is the less flourishing 

 the greater the elevation. Larch, on the other hand, thrives 

 wonderfully on the sheltered localities, but above a certain 

 elevation suffers so badly from the effects of wind that it is 

 impossible to raise a successful crop. Spruce grows well 

 at all elevations and in exposed situations seemed the only tree 

 capable of yielding timber of a useful size. 



In the detailed examination small plots of o'i to 0*3 acre in 

 extent were laid out for each species, the diameters were calipered, 

 and a sample tree, approximating as nearly as convenient to the 

 mean tree, was felled. In selecting each sample plot an endeavour 

 was made to secure uniformity of stocking in the crop and a fair 

 average sample. 



The sample tree was then cut up into sections of either 4 feet 

 or 5 feet length, the rings at each section were counted and two 

 diameters at right angles measured. From these data, it was 

 then possible to find the volume of the sample tree and hence 

 the form-factor, and further to trace the height-growth corve. 



The volume per acre (V) was then calculated as 

 Y = Jxfcx/, 



where A = total basal area at breast height of dominant crop, 



/=form factor of sample tree, 

 and h = mean height of dominant crop. 



By the dominant crop is meant those trees which would remain 

 on the ground after a thinning. In the case of larch and Scotch 

 and Corsican pines, the imaginary thinning was of moderate 

 intensity, only the suppressed trees being removed, while in the 

 case of spruce the thinning was made to approximate in intensity 

 (as wffl appear later) to the density in which the crop had hitherto 



