The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-09-15

LIS ViStt mere. 1ney all manifest
much interest in the work, and there
is every indication that scientific for
estry is coming to be appreciated by
the men in. Washington who are most
interested in the product OF the forests.
Upon invitation OF Mr.. Gaskill, Prof.
Edmond S. Meany, of the University
OF Washington, visited his camp in
Mason county and participated in the
work for few days. The professor
has always been deeply interested in
such matters, but he was surprised at
the thoroughness with which each
branch OF the investigation was car
ried on. Four men we're required in a
crew for making the "valuation sur
veys." The leader carried in his hand
a board containing specially prepar-
ed tally sheet, and attached to the
board was compass. To the belt Of
this man was attached surveyors
chain, the .other end of which was
managed by the "chain man."
Two other men would stretch a
chain at right angles with the line OF
the first one. The leader, with the
campass, would then travel ahead un-
til the cry of "chainy" would stop him.
The other three would then traverse
the parallelogram thus marked out
and measure with calipers or tapes,
arranged for the purpose, every tree,
calling out to the leader the number,
| kind and size of the trees, which he
would carefully tally. When six OF
these "chains" had been thus worked
an acre had been surveyed. A crew of
four active young men can survey
twenty acres a day in this manner,
after they have received few days
practice.
At the end Of each acres survey,
the blanks on the tally sheet are filled
out, giving the particulars of the local
ity, kind of soil, plants forming tire
q soil cover and other information tha,
would tie necessary to form acompiete
idea OF the forest surveyed. These
tally sheets are carefully numbered
signed and filed away in large manlls
envelopes, on which are written de
scriptions of the locality covered by
the sheets contained within. All this
!, simpll6es the work OF the experts a
Washington, who will go over all these
field notes and classify them in ord el
that accurate and useful conclusions
may be drawn from the work.
/ In some respects the tree analyses
were even more interesting than the
valuation surveys. The letter of in
structions said that this work must bt
done where numbering is going on
The reason for this is atonce apparen
to the observer. =
AS soon as tree is felled papel
tape is stretched from bark to pitt
and the annual rings are carefully
counted, the tape being marked fol
each ten rings from the bark to Tx
heart or pith. The sap wood is in
dictated OH the tape, and the pith is in
dicated by an arrow. This is marked
"Sec. l." and there is then noted or
the tape the length of the section ant
other information. This operation il
repeated at every section, cut by. The
loggers. Each section.is measured, a.
are also the top and crown left by the
loggers. The tapes for each analysis
are carefully numbered, with the in
/ ltials of the observer also attached tt
prevent confusion. At the first oppor
tunity in camp these tapes are worked
over with rule and the results of each
analysis is recorded ona prepared tally
sheet. The accurate size, form, age
and life history of the tree may easily
be read from these compiled tally
sheets. The hundreds of such an.
3 alysis made will permit the formula.
d ton of reliable conclusions as to the
growth Of red fir. =.
i The portion of the work falling an
der the third Observation-Disclosures
studies-was carried on by the chic
of the expedition in the form of exten.
siye notes on observations, photographs
and measurements.
The results of the work thus lar arc
entirely satisfactory, but it is quite
clear that 1t cannot be completed IN
one season. Mr.. Gaskill says his party
will disband for the present season,
Next summer another crew will take
up the work for further study When
Mr.. Pinchot gets enough Information
| from the field the division of forestry
will issue q book on the red FIR that
will be of interest and of value to
many people in this country, and es.