BALSAM FIE. 
19 
WEIGHT PER CORD OF BALSAM FIR AND SPRUCE. 
In order to ascertain roughly the weight of a cord of green and dry 
balsam and spruce pulpwood, five balsam firs and five spruces were 
felled, and three sections, each equal to a quarter of a cubic foot, 
were taken from the bottom, base of the crown, and top of each tree, 
and their weights determined at the time of cutting, and again two 
weeks and three weeks later. From these weights the average weight 
of 1 cubic foot of green and half-seasoned spruce and balsam wood 
was obtained. At the same time balsam and spruce were piled sepa- 
rately, and the actual cubic contents of solid wood in a cord deter- 
mined. By multiplying the average weight of 1 cubic foot of green 
and half-seasoned balsam and spruce by the number of cubic feet of 
solid wood in a cord the weight of 1 cord of green and half-seasoned 
balsam and spruce pulpwood was obtained. From figures for weight 
per cubic foot given by Prof. C. S. Sargent, the weight of 1 cord of 
air-dry balsam and spruce was determined, respectively, as 2,252 and 
2,662 pounds. The results of the different weighings are presented 
in Table 4. ' 
Table 4. — Weight, per cubic foot of spruce and balsam fir. 
No. of tree. 
Green 
(Sept. 5). 
Half seasoned 
(Sept. 26). 
Spruce. 
Balsam. 
Spruce. 
Balsam. 
I , 
Pounds. 
49.00 
50. 75 
44.75 
51.00 
44.25 
Pounds. 
52.00 
52.25 
55.00 
51.25 
46.00 
Pounds. 
35.25 
30. 75 
30. 50 
35.00 
32.00 
Pounds. 
37.06 
36.25 
37.75 
34.00 
32.00 
n... 
m 
rv 
v 
Average weight per cubic foot 
Average weight per cord 
48. 15 
4, 543. 00 
51.30 
4,858.00 
32.70 
3,094.00 
35.41 
3,354.00 
Thus, balsam weighs about 7 per cent more than spruce when green 
and IS per cent less when dry. The sections taken from the butts 
of the trees weighed the least; the sections from the tops were the 
heaviest, due undoubtedly to the proportionately greater amount of 
sap and larger numbei of knots hi the tops. Palpwood never becomes 
entirely dry in the woods, and though by the time balsam is drawn 
to the river it loses about 30 per cent of its weight, it is still probably 
from 5 to 6 per cent heavier than spruce. 
MEASURING PULPWOOD. 
In the Adirondacks pulpwood is now measured almost exclusively 
by the cord. A cord contains 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, repre- 
sented by a stack 4 feet high. 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long. In order 
