Prices Realized for Timber in Morayshire. 133 



chiefly of oak. This sale has been in existence for upwards of fifty years, 

 and is numerously attended by those engaged in the ship and boat build- 

 ing trade, also by timber merchants, cartwrights, &c. It is well known 

 that oak does not now command the same price as it did twenty years ago. 

 About that time the price of good oak in this forest, for ship and boat 

 building purposes, was from 3s. Cd, to 4s. 6d. per cubic foot. This cannot 

 nowberealized, as other material is eztensively used for those purposes, ard 

 there is also a foreign timber supply to contend with. It may be here 

 stated that the prices given for boat timber depend not a little upon the 

 success of the herring fishings on the north and east coasts. 



The following quotations were given at last annual sale : — 



Oak. — Heavy " crooks," for ship and boat timbers, from 2s. Gd. to 

 3s. O^d. per cubic foot ; smaller crooks, from 2s. to 2s. 3d. ; heavy straight 

 trees, from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per foot. Smaller sizes from Is. 6d. to Is. lOd. ; 

 inferic .ots from Is. to Is. 3d. " Burnwood " (firewood), which is readily 

 bought up for fish-curing purposes, 15s. per ton ; small oak branches for 

 firewood, 6s. per ton. Bark, £7 sterling per ton, delivered at nearest 

 railway station two miles distant from store sheds. 



Ash, first quality, 3s. to 3s. 7d. per foot, second quality, 2s. 6d. Elm, 

 first quality, 2s. 6|d. per foot; second quality, 2s. to 2s. 3d. Inferior lots 

 of ash and elm, Is. 6d. to Is. 9d. 



Beech, straight, and of a size for boat keels, Is. lid. and 2s. per foot. 

 *'■ Burnwood," consistiug of ash, elm, and beech, 10s. per ton. Birch, for 

 bobbins, burnwood, &c., 12s. per ton. Alder, lOs. per ton. 



Larch and Scots firs, when sold in large lots, command a very remu- 

 nerative price if grown on suitable soils. This class of timber is some- 

 times sold by "public roup" and sometimes by "private tender." Mixed 

 thinnings are generally sold by public roup, and are bought by farmers 

 and others at what they are worth. 



Lots altogether of pitwood are, as a rule, sold by "private tender," 

 either by the dozen of 72 linear feet, or a lump sum for a certain number of 

 trees ; generally the latter mode is adopted. " Crown props," five inches 

 diameter at small end, gave 4s. per dozen here last January, and 

 " common props," three inches diameter at small end, 2s. 6d. per dozen. 

 The price of pitwood greatly depends upon the supply and demand. It 

 has had a downward tendency since the above quotations were given, and 

 is at present in less demand. 



The following may be quoted as the average prices given in this locality 

 for the various sizes of fir timber : — Larch, suitable for boat-sheathing, 

 Is. 3d. per cubic foot; smaller sizes, Is.; larch fencing posts, 6 ft. long, 

 4 in. diameter at small end, sawn out of full-grown trees, 8d. each ; 

 larch thinnings, posts, 6 ft. long, 4 in. diameter, 6d. each; smaller sizes, 

 4d. each ; sheep net stakes, h\ ft. long and pointed, 2d. each. Scots fir 

 in large lots, " sleeper size," from 8d. to lOd. per cubic foot; smaller sizes, 

 Gd. to 7d. per do. 



Instances could be given of a timber crop, consisting of larch and Scots 



