MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 131 



shire, the improvements upon land, fencing, cottage accommo- 

 dation, farm building improvements, &c, timber would reason- 

 ably be expected to be much higher. The causes, however, which 

 combine to keep down the prices are very evident : — In the first 

 place, most proprietors manufacture and use in the improve- 

 ment of their own property their own timber, employing both 

 the largest portion, and the best quality. Hence the disposable 

 part of their wood is either of an infeiior class of small quanti- 

 ties in one particular spot, or is so unfavourably situated for 

 clearing the wood, that timber merchants consider such sales 

 unworthy of their patronage, and seldom attend them except to 

 purchase oak for ship building. Since, however, railways have, 

 been extended into and intersect the country, public sales are 

 better attended by persons from a distance, consequently some 

 sorts of timber are rising in price. This was manifested at a pub- 

 lic sale near Jedburgh, when young peeled oak 45 years planted 

 realized Is. 6d. per foot, similar descriptions of wood in the same 

 district ten years ago would not have sold for more than half that 

 price. Upon a few estates in Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire 

 timber is sold by private contract upon a limited scale. In such 

 cases the trees are selected, cut down by the proprietor, and 

 measured lying upon the ground, the purchaser cross -cutting, 

 and removing them at his own expense. Timber sold in this 

 way is generally charged at a rate higher than is common at 

 auction sales. If only a part of the tree is taken (the root cut) 

 from Id. to 2d. per foot more is charged than for the whole 

 tree. 



Having stated that most of the disposable part of the wood in 

 this part of the country is sold by public roup, it may be well U> 

 make a few statements upon the advantages and disadvantages at- 

 tending such sales. In preparing the wood for sale, it is cut down 

 and arranged in such lots as it is anticipated will suit the forthcom- 

 ing purchasers. The description of sale of course varies accord- 

 ing to the sorts of wood submitted, and the district in which it 

 is situated. The wider apart the lots are situated, and the more 

 difficult to clear off the ground, so in proportion will they sell 

 at a lower or higher figure ; and again, the greater the variety 

 of the timber trees, and frequently the smaller the sale, so also 

 will be the price, provided it is a considerable distance from 

 town or village. Small sales of wood in the vicinity of a 

 town generally command higher prices than large ones. One 

 advantage of a promiscuous small lot of wood being dis- 

 posed of by auction is, that the general public are supplied, 

 each individual attending being enabled to purchase the quantity 

 and quality of wood he requires for his own special and par- 

 ticular purpose. Promiscuous and varied though the wood for 

 sale may be, the requirements of the company collected on such 



