MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 135 



loading, or other handling. A 15 feet log is more easily drawn 

 with the bark shaved off than a 10 feet one with it on, and when 

 snow and ice cover the ground, a 40 feet tree will glide along 

 with greater ease than a 20 feet one without such relief. 

 For carting rough wood in blocks such as two men can load, a 

 distance of from f to 1 mile, f d. per foot is sufficient where the 

 road is good, but when the road is in such bad repair that pro- 

 per loads cannot be taken, nor the horse walk at freedom, one 

 penny or even l|d. may be required. 



The next form of expense entailed upon timber is that 

 of manufacturing it, which is in general done at saw mills, 

 propelled either by. steam or water power. The following 

 are the prices at which timber of common dimensions is 

 manufactured. They include all manual labour, and wear and 

 tear of machinery : — 



Eailway sleepers 9 feet long, 10 X 5 each, . . . . OB 



Do. do. do., 9X4| do 1£ 



Larch, spruce and Scots Pine boards 1 inch thick, per 100 feet, 1 3 



Do. do. do. do. £ do. do., 10 



Do. do. do. do. i do. do., 9 



Do. do. do. Staves i do. 1,000 feet, 3 6 



Birch, Do. J do. do., . 4 



Scantling for roofing, lineal feet 100, 10 



Do. small sizes as 3 X 3, 3 X 4, Do. do., 8 



Beams of large size 7x7, and upwards per cubic feet, . . 1 



The above prices apply to pine and fir only, for sawing hard 

 wood I to J more money is required. 



The season of the year, as well as the age of the tree ought 

 to be regarded in cutting valuable timber. The following are 

 the results of the writer's experience upon the subject : — Oak, 

 for the sake of its bark, ought to be cut as early in the season 

 as the sap flows freely. It matters little at what season of the 

 year timber is cut as respects the heart- wood ; while it is a 

 matter of great consideration in regard to the sap-wood. The 

 writer has seen pine timber cut in June become discoloured in 

 two weeks, while if cut in winter the same sort of wood will lie 

 upon theground two or three months withoutb scorning discoloured. 

 "Discolouration proceeds from fermentation, which renders season- 

 ng the timber difficult, and imperils its condition when manufac- 

 tured. In cutting down large timber, the following is the system 

 preferred by the writer. The tree is first cut in by an- axe to 

 the depth of a few inches upon the side to which it is intended 

 to fall. Upon the side opposite to that cut with the axe, the 

 felling saw is entered in such a position as to cut through the 

 tree two or three inches above the lower part of the axe cut. 

 When the saw is sufficiently advanced, two socket wedges are 

 driven in to any required distance, so as to cause the tree to fall 

 in the place intended, which is thus done with greater certainty 



