134 MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 



sound and likely to stand many years longer, but he assisted 

 five years ago to take a planted Scotch Tine post out of the ground 

 which was put in when the plantation, of which it formed a 

 gate post, was enclosed in 1833, having thus stood 26 years, 

 in good preservation, except the sapwood, which of course 

 was long previously entirely decayed. This happened in 

 Roxburghshire, where the plantation from which the post was 

 taken stood on a bleak hill top, about 850 feet altitude, the soil 

 dry, hard, and gravelly, similar to that upon which the best 

 natural Pine is grown in the Highlands. At the time the post 

 referred to was cut out of the plantation it was about 120 years 

 old, thus showing that, unless Scotch Pine timber stands till of a 

 great age, the quality of the timber is inferior. • No question is 

 more difficult to solve than that, when timber should be cut down 

 as ripe. One crop of Larch hop poles is at its highest point of 

 value at 12 years, another not till 17 years. A crop of Larch 

 6 feet apart, fit for railway purposes, such as sleepers, is ripe at 40 

 years. Again, a crop of Scotch Pine is at its highest state of per- 

 fection and value at 50 years, another at 70 pears. One portion 

 of natural Scotch Pine forest is at its highest perfection in 90 years, 

 another portion not ripe till 110 years, another at 130, and even 

 at 140 years, the writer has seen trees cut down at a stage far 

 below perfection, the nature of the soil and thinning determine 

 cither. Oak timber, 10 feet apart, upon clay soil, with free open 

 sandstone substratum, sheltered situation, never thinned, ripe at 

 90 years. Another portion of Cak plantation, 30 to 50 feet 

 apart, upon dry loam, gravelly subsoil, freely exposed, frequently 

 thinned, ripe at 120 years. Ash, upon moss ground, with a dry 

 and sandy subsoil, mixed with Pine and Firs, ripe at 30 years. 

 Another piece of Ash, 10 feet to 12 feet apart, upon moderately 

 good dry soil, rather exposed, ripe at 60 years. 



As the expense connected with preparing and bringing the 

 timber to market constitutes a very important item, and influ- 

 ences the value to the proprietor very considerably, it may be 

 well to give a few statements upon the subject. Without 

 attempting to enumerate the various systems, or lay down any 

 positive rule, the writer will state what he has met with in 

 practice, from which inferences may be drawn. For cutting down 

 Pine and Fir with felling saw, sneading and crosscutting the 

 same into lengths of not less than 9 feet, i.e. where a clean cut 

 or clearing of the wood is made, one farthing per cubic foot is 

 sufficient. Where difficulties in felling are to be encountered, 

 where the trees are unduly clothed with branches, or the 

 ground is rough anH steep, one halfpenny per foot is required. 

 These prices include shaving off the rough bark from the trunk 

 of the tree, which is done with a view to render the wood more 

 smooth and easily drawn, and making it more light for floating, 



