THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



159 



The import from Quebec consisted of 262 mille standard. 

 The highest prices for superior assortments were £70 to £75 

 per standard mille. For some large and mixed parcels re- 

 cently £55 was deemed preferable to hol'jing over. No de- 

 mand for culls. Puncheon staves, now principally' from the 

 lakes of Upper Canada and the United States, take the 

 wide range of £16 to £20 per mille. 



United States Staves. — New lork standard pipe 

 rank below the best Quebec because of the greater preva- 

 lence of worm holes. From the great variety of single 

 staves, we can only quote the extra heavy New York hogs- 

 head at £24, thinner staves at £21, £18, and £14 per mille. 

 The double New Orleauo hogshead have been sold at £36 

 while slight staves drop as low as £18 per mille. 



Baltic Latiiwood. — From Prussian ports 1,280 fa- 

 thoms, from Russian 1,G60 fathoms, both being the stowage 

 of general cargoes; and three cargoes from Sweden. The 

 value was very steadily maintained from £9 to £10 per 

 cubic fathom for the St. Petersburg, from £7 to £8 for the 

 Danzic, and about th' same for Swedish Lathwocd. 



BRITISH AMERICA. — The supply of deals from 

 Canada has amounted to 1,7S4,000 pieces, of which we may 

 assume four-fifths to have been pine. The supply from New 

 Brunswick and Nova Scotia was 1,543,000 pieces, which 

 were virtually all spruce, so that the quantity of spruce 

 deals exceeded that of pine deals in the importation of 1859. 

 2nd and 3rd qualities of pine deals had been selling very 

 low throughout 1857 and 1858 : towards the close of the 

 latter year there were the first signs of improvement, when 

 seconds were gradually advancing from £9 10s. to £10 10s, 

 Petersburg standard, and realized this higher rate for floated, 

 with £11 for bright in the spring of 1859; the same prices 

 were sustained after the arrival of the first fleet, with a gra- 

 dual rise to £12 and £12 10s. when so few ships were found 

 to be making good the fall voyages. Third quality in like 

 mauuer have been lifted from £8 10s. to £10, and even £10 

 lOs. has been realized for choice bright. First quality pine 

 deals were too high to admit of a proportionate advance, but 

 sold steadily at £17 for the floated stock, and £18 and £19 

 lOs. for bright. A few fourth quality of bright piue have 

 been tried without success, for they are split and shaken 

 like the floated culls of olden times. 



In white spruce deals we have had a large trade. Very few 

 choice Quebec, and these too costly for the demand ; some 20 

 cargoes of the St. Lawrence spruce from the mills below 

 Quebec, as of a medium quality, are suitable for the consump- 

 tion of the time, at about £9 10s. per standard for seconds ; 

 but the first quality, as now assorted at these mills, do not 

 command 293. more, i- or thin spruce and promiscuous di- 

 mensions there ia always a poor sale, except for the clean first 

 quality deals and battens. 



The shipments of spruce deals in New Brunswick were 

 extended beyond our usual demand, when the ahips of the 

 United States, seeking employment in those waters, accepted 

 low r«tes of freight. Uatil that time, the prices for mixed or 

 average second spruce deals had been £9 5s. to £9 9a., when 

 the importers, lacking confidence, accepted £8 10s. for many 

 cargoes. From this depression, as the freight recovered and 

 the shipments were restricted, there was an easy advance, 

 and now the rates of the spring have been resumed. 



Quebec Pine Timber. — Imported 5,846 logs, contents 

 about 9,300 loads. This supply consisted of ship's deck and 

 building pine, for there is no recognition of it as board timber. 

 Some fine parcels have commanded 75s. per load — though, as 

 the stock on hand is more than equal to the whole importa- 

 tion, it will be clear we had but limited demand, and hold 

 over some of the import of 1S58. Timber of small metings 

 has been saleable at 558. per load. 



Bed Pine Timber. — Imported 3,298 pieces. Its use as 

 building timber has been superseded of late years by the 

 cheaper Baltic fir, and we cannot quote more than 55s. to 65a. 

 per load for such timber. For clean, choice parcels, with some 

 pieces suitable for yards, spars, &c., there ia generally a 

 ready sale, according to the dimensions, from 85s. to lOSs. 

 per load. 



Elm Timber. — Imported 2,784 pieces, chiefly good 

 rock elm, of full metings, and worth 903. to 100s. per 

 load. 



Ash Timber. — Imported 1,144 pieces ; prices 603. to 708. 

 per load. 



BiRCii Timber. — 3,452 logs of Canadian, and 3,768 logs 

 from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward's Isle, form the supply 

 of 1859. This was a small and safe quantity, so that the 

 demand has taken it off while fresh. Stout sizes of the 

 lower port fetched 75a. per load, and the well squared 

 Canadian 80s, to Sos. per load, a prime lot occasionally bring- 

 ing lOOs. 



Quebec Oak Timber.— A considerable quantity of old 

 oak has been held over. The fresh timber has been saleable 

 at 110s. per load, and as the import of the past year was only 

 916 logs, 1,460 loads, better prices are expected for the late 

 supplies. The old timber is not esteemed. 



Spanish Oak. — Several cargoes have been imported for 



^lavy use. There are apparently fine shipbuildiug forms and 



diaiensions to be procured from Spain, if judgment is used in 



the selection and conversioi', but for the private trade no 



value has yet been set on it. 



African Oak. — The demand has almost ceased, probably 

 from our market stock consisting of small size?, the large di- 

 mensions being taken for the navy. 



MouLMEiNE Teake.— Imported in 1859, 12,000 loads ; 

 in 1858, 22,000 loads; in 1857, 15,000 loads. All large 

 totals, and at one period, early in the past year, the stock 

 amounted to nearly 20,000 loads : owing to large purchases 

 made for our own government as well as for several foreign 

 States, the new supply and old arrears of stock have been re- 

 quired. From £10 lOs. there has been a progressive upward 

 movement to £12 10s. per load, and higher prices are ex- 

 pected. Teake has been imported of lower quality and of in- 

 ferior conversion for the last two years, which has tended to 

 keep the prices low. 



Gkeenheart from British Guiana. — No stock on hand. 

 The small importation made has been directed to the navy 

 yards ; value £8 10s. to £9 per load. 



United States Pitch Pine.— Imported in 1859, 12,500 

 loads in logs and planks. For the latter the demand increases 

 for ships' decks and for stair treads ; the value, when clean 

 and clear of knots, £14 to £15 lOs. per Petersburgh standard 

 hundred. The Darien and best Savannah timber has ruled 

 from 80s. to 903. per load. 



Masts.— At the close of the year one cargo of Canada pine 

 masts arrived, till when there had been no fresh supply of good 

 masts for the private trade. Many of those imported in 1858 

 were deemed superior as Canadian masts, but none can com- 

 pare with the new importation from Oregon and Vancouver's 

 Isle. Four cargoes of these magnificent trees (said to be 

 Abies Douylasii) have been imported, creating as much wonder 

 in the naturalist as in the trade. In length, 100 to 130 leet ; 

 in diameter 30 to 39 inches throughout their length : straight, 

 without knots, with scarcely any sap ; sound, strong, and not 

 weighty ; these splendid trees combine all the qualities re- 

 quired in masts, and have already attracted the attention of 

 our own and foreign governments. The principal and largest 

 masts of this Oregon wood have been valued at £12 per load ; 

 topmasts and mainyarda, £8 10s. to £10 10s. per load; bow- 

 sprits and smaller spars in proportion. Canadian masts will 

 we fear be less valued than heretofore. Small Riga hand 

 masts have been imported for special purposes, but their cost 

 is too hi^h for general use. Some coarse Stettin were sold at 

 £3 to £5"^ per load. The Kawrie masts of New Zealand are 

 still in high esteem (or the navy and first-class ahips, though 

 they are as costly to import as the Oregon maats, and are not 

 of the same enormous dimension?. 



Freight forms so considerable an item in the import-cost 0; 

 wood that it is essential to subjoin the rates paid during 1859. 

 From Quebec and the various loading coves in the St. 

 Lawrence, the early charters were made at 80s. standard for 

 deals ; 85s. to 903. standard for timber lading. Some reduc- 

 tion was made when the American and other foreign ships 

 were seeking freights, but the rates were lif.ed to 953. and 

 IOO3. for the fall ships. From St. John's and the neighbour- 

 ing ports of New Brunswick, the chartering rates for London 

 were 75s., but seeking ships were taken at, and some even 

 under, 65s. Memel and Danzic freights opened at Hs. per 

 load, rose to 173. for late voyages, and even to 18s. before 

 closing ; Riga, 17s. to 208. per load, with additions for logs 

 and maats. Petersburg charters were opened at 45s. standard ; 

 then 35s. to 40s. were tskcn, and for aon.e return voyages 

 25s to32s. 6d. For Swedish ports in the Gulf of Bothnia 

 453. was the medium rate : there were times when 5s. less 



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