Outlaw rule

Outlaw rule

One of several formulas, and one that is generally grossly inaccurate, for estimating the volume of haystacks. Despite the inaccuracy, this rule was widely used in the Midwest. First, measure the distance from the ground on one side of the stack over the stack and down to the ground on the other side. Multiply that number by the stack width, divide the product by four, and multiply by the stack length to get the volume in cubic feet. For other formulae, see the Fowl rule, the Frye-Bruhn rule, and the Quartermaster’s rule.