spruce Timber. 255 



sound belief in the absolute necessity of having wood well seasoned and 

 thoroughly dry before it is covered up, as also the need of good 

 ventilation in all constructions, let the class of timber be what it may; 

 and I believe if our home timber was as well seasoned as the foreign 

 timber is before we get it home, and applied for the construction of 

 buildings, it would very soon come to be more highly esteemed as 

 well as more extensively used. 



And why not season it well ? At every proprietor's saw-mill wherever 

 I go I scarcely ever find anything like a stock of seasoned wood. 



A twelvemonth's supply ought always to be kept in stock. The 

 logs could be squared, or a lot of it could be cut into different sizes of 

 battens, ready to be further manufactured as required. 



Regarding the best method of preserving stobs, none can surpass 

 thorough seasoning, then charring and tarring. If the brush and weeds 

 are kept well down, stobs carefully handled in driving may stand for 

 thirty years. I know a fence that stood on the west coast of this county 

 for thirty-one years ; the stobs were treated as above, and frequently 

 tarred, a good thick coating being always put upon the top of the stob ; 

 the ground was pretty level and indifferently drained. 



Thomas Wilkie, 

 Forester. 



Ardkinglas. 



