586 TJic yottrnal of Forestry. 



ou either side ot the " stob " as circumstauces may require. They were 

 li in. X -f^ iu. thick and 22 in. long over all, and cost6|d. each. The iron 

 market being now much easier, they might be made for a little less 

 From the extensive experience we have had in fencing, we consider Mr. 

 Baxter's idea a good one, and indeed it must be clear to every one that a 

 saving can be effected by nailing these prongs on to an old " stob," and thus 

 making it do service for other ten years at least. Besides, by his method 

 it is unnecessary to draw the staples, in the case of a wire fence, or to 

 knock off" any of the rails, in the case of a wooden fence, the prongs merely 

 requiring to be driven down alongside and nailed to the "stob." 



For light soils, triangular-shaped standards can be used alternately with 

 the prong standards, so as to give the fence greater stability. 



A, & J. Main & Co. 

 25, George IV. Bridge, Edinhurgh. 



SPRUCE TIMBER. 



Sir,- — In reference to the durability of spruce timber, allow me to say 

 that I know of spruce boarding used for sarking in byres thirty years 

 ago, which is now to all appearance as sound as when it was used. A part 

 of the same tree was used in a similar construction, and is now quite 

 rotten. In both cases white pine was used along with the spruce, and when 

 lately examined showed jn both cases no comparative difference as regarded 

 either rottenness or soundness against that of the spruce ; consequently 

 age, class of soil, whether grown in lowlands or highlands, made no dif- 

 ference in this case, seeing it was all the one tree, and therefore I trust I 

 may be excused if I attribute the different state of preservation to good 

 ventilation in the one case and bad ventilation in the other, as I fancy the 

 boards would be equally well seasoned to begin with. 



What I believe to be the chief cause of the low estimate generally formed 

 of spruce timber is that it is not easily dressed, consequently used ior rough 

 purposes where dressing is not required ; and often for rough or temporary 

 sheds, under the shade and drip of trees or surrounding buildings, iu badly 

 ventilated situations, where neither it, nor any other class of foreign 

 wood would stand long without becoming decayed. And before 

 spruce timber can get the definition properly applied to it, as that 

 given by Mr. Baxter and some others, we must see it tested and compared 

 with various other classes of home-grown timber, no less than foreign 

 wood ; and if thus applied in the same buildings, and for the same purposes, 

 its qualities would become fully known; and I guess after being thus 

 fully tested, when equally well seasoned, a higher estimate would be formed 

 regarding it, and consequently more demand. 



Thomas Wilkie, Forester, 



Ardk'ingJas, Inverary, Gfh Kovemher, 1877, 



