MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 117 



proprietor found to his dismay that not only was he minus the 

 price of the wood (lOd. per foot), but that he had been a loser to 

 the amount of 3d. per sleeper. 



Upon most estates of any considerable extent, it is the pro- 

 prietor's interest to dispose of all surplus wood to timber mer- 

 chants, either in the growing state or cut off the root, without 

 further labour upon it, and to re-purchase the manufactured 

 wood required for estate purposes. The benefits resulting from 

 this system are that the proprietor is enabled to dispose of all his 

 wood to greater advantage, good and bad together ; whereas, ex- 

 hausting by cutting and manufacturing for his own use the 

 greater portion of his best timber, he is ur.able to dispose of the 

 inferior class except at a great discount — the timber merchant 

 not being able to afford a price for it, equal to its true value, in 

 consequence of being obliged to market the one class of wood 

 without the other. The theory is false that leads to the conclu- 

 sion that, by the proprietor manufacturing his own wood, he there- 

 by has to himself the timber merchant's profits, because not 

 only does he require to discharge the various duties of the lat- 

 ter, including travelling, attending markets, making out esti- 

 mates, keeping books, superintending the manufacture of the 

 wood, &c, but he is also liable to losses in various ways, as 

 wasting and spoiling of the wood. 



Another instance of how proprietors often greatly lose by 

 their woods is in the way of clearing the timber from the ground 

 in difficult places, such as rocky glens, bogs, and soft mossy 

 ground. The writer has often seen wood remain and rot upon 

 the ground from want of skill or experience in clearing it, ex- 

 cept at a cost beyond that of the value of the wood. The system 

 most recommendable for clearing rocky glens is to cut the wood 

 during winter or spring, and to snead, bark, and cross-cut the 

 trees into suitable lengths, allowing it afterwards to lie upon the 

 ground in a drying position till pretty light and ready for float- 

 ing. In order to practise this system, it is assumed that a flow 

 of water is in the glen of lesser or greater quantity. This water 

 is dammed up at one or more convenient places, and, being pro- 

 vided with sluices, the water is allowed snddenly to escape and 

 fill the channel into which the wood has been previously put ; 

 the rapid flow of water thus carries it to a convenient place for 

 cartage or manufacture. By the floating system a saving of 

 thousands of pounds is effected to some proprietors in the north 

 of Scotland. Mosses, where there is no road metal, are difficult 

 to clear. The best plan is to manufacture the wood by means of 

 portable steam-engines, cutting it first at a place nearest of 

 access, and using the rough slabs or backs in forming the road, 

 stage by stage, further into the wood or forest, bedding and 



