LOSS BY CUTTING HIGH STUMPS. | 59 
diameter is called even 6, and 7.8 even 8, ctc. If a lower stump is cut 
the top of each log is lower on the tree and is therefore larger in diam- 
eter. Where the measurement of a log is near the dividing line between 
two whole inches this increase would in many cases be sufficient to 
make it scale 1 inch larger than it would where a high stump is cut. 
Thus, a log measuring 6.4 inches in diameter would probably scale 0.3 
inch more if the stump were cut a foot lower, in which case the scalers 
would call it a 7-inch instead of a 6-inch log. 
In order to compute the loss occasioned by cutting high stumps, the 
following method was used: T'wo hundred and eighty-three trees, 
which were measured in Nehasane Park in 1897, were scaled in stand- 
ards. The taper of each log in each tree was computed, and it was 
determined what the diameter at the top of each would have been if the 
stump had been cut 18 inches above the ground. 
It was found that out of these 283 trees 78 would have actually 
scaled more in standards if low stumps had been cut. Computation 
was made of the percentage of increase in each tree affected and of the 
ratio of trees of each diameter, showing an increase to the entire num- 
ber measured. 
In the table on page 60 it will be seen that the trees of small diame- 
ter show the greatest percentage of increase in standards, and that 
those of large diameter show the greatest percentage of individuals 
affected. 
The total increase for all the trees amounted to 5.4 standards. The 
total yield of the trees was 258 standards. The percentage of increase 
was therefore 2.1. The trees from which this computation was made 
were all sound. In actual practice a number of the trees are found to 
have some imperfection at the stump and a short piece has to be cut 
off. In generalizing from the above figures, therefore, an allowance 
should be made for trees of this character. It is believed that areduc- 
tion of 5 per cent is ample. The figure 2.1 per cent should be, there- 
fore, 2 per cent. 
These figures mean that for every 100,000 standards removed 2,000. 
are wasted by cutting high stumps. If a tract of 100,000 acres yields 
on an average 15 standards per acre, there would be a loss in cutting 
high stumps of 30,000 standards. At astumpage value of 40 cents per 
standard, this represents an actual luss of $12,000. 
