In examining so large an area it was found that the best results could be obtained by traversing the roads and trails and making side trips wherever necessary to cover intermediate territory. Upon the topographic maps of the Geological Survey were drawn the outlines of cleared land and the several classes of forest land as they were passed. At the same time ocular estimates of the average stand and the proportion of the species composing it were made, checked occasionally by actual measurements on small representative areas. After the outlines of the several classes of land were drawn the areas were computed from the map, and the yield obtained by multiplying the number of acres of each class by the average stand. The yield is stated in feet B. M. of log timber, and cords of small wood (which includes all wood not classed as log timber). The estimates of log timber were based upon the closest cutting in practice in the United States, and include a great deal of material that is not now salable on the stump, because of the difficulty of transportation. In fact, a very small proportion of the amount estimated (probably not over 10 per cent) is merchantable under present conditions, though all would be merchantable if cheap transportation should make it accessible.
