140 A MANUAL FOR NORTHERN WOODSMEN 
Spaulding, and the British Columbia — are printed in 
this work (see pages 243-260). The International rule, 
devised by Dr. Judson F. Clark, formerly forester of On¬ 
tario, is also given (page 254). In regard to these rules 
and their relation to log measurement and saw product 
several general observations may be made. 
(1.) On sound, smooth, soft-wood logs when.manufac¬ 
tured according to the best present practice, the figures of 
all the commercial rules are conservative with the exception 
of the Doyle rule on very large logs. This is especially 
true with reference to small logs. 
(2.) Board rules give to large logs a greater valuation in 
proportion to cubic contents (actual amount of wood) than 
to small ones. Thus the Scribner log rule to 8-inch logs 
of small taper allows five feet per cubic foot of wood con¬ 
tents; to 16-inch logs seven feet, to 30-inch logs eight feet. 
This principle is a just one for logs that are in fact to be 
sawn, because the waste in manufacturing in the case of 
small logs is much greater, but on this account a board 
rule is not a just measure for logs designed for pulp or 
other such uses. 
(3.) The rules are adapted to use on short logs with little 
taper. When logs are long enough to be cut in two for 
sawing, or to yield side boards for a part of their length, 
to derive contents from length and top diameter is not a 
fair thing. In such cases a second measure of diameter 
should be taken, and this can be done accurately only with 
a caliper. Allowance for “ rise ” or taper, whether for each 
log by judgment or according to some rule agreed upon, 
is more or less inaccurate and should be resorted to only 
in case of necessity. It may be said as a general rule that 
20-foot lengths are as long as it is safe to scale logs in. 1 
On the other hand, since strongly tapering logs in almost 
every case are rougher than those of gentle taper, varying 
taper in logs of reasonable length is largely neutralized 
by quality.* 
(4.) There is wide variation in the details of scaling prac¬ 
tice, and a trustworthy rule in consequence may, in the 
hands of an unskilled or careless man, give very unsatis- 
1 Except in the case of Pacific Coast timber. 
