132 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



at 4 feet up; it contains 777 cubic feet of timber, and is valued 

 at p^i6. The other, the Geant Sapin, has a height of 157 feet, 

 and a girth of 173 inches at 4 feet up; it contains 1095 cubic 

 feet of timber, and is valued at ;£2'j. 



After visiting granite quarries, weaving manufactories, and 

 the summit of the Hohneck, one of the highest points in 

 the Vosges, the first part of the programme was brought 

 to a close. 



On Saturday, the 30th July, the party left Gerardmer for Paris, 

 travelling by way of Nancy, which was reached about noon. 

 Here lunch was served, after which farewell greetings were given 

 to several members who were proceeding homewards instead of 

 taking part in the second portion of the Excursion. 



The journey from Nancy to Paris was completed about 6 p.m., 

 when members were accommodated in the Hotel Malesherbes, 

 Boulevard Malesherbes, and the Hotel Columbia, Avenue 

 Kleber. 



Sunday was quietly spent in visiting the public gardens and 

 boulevards of Paris. 



On Monday, ist August, the programme included the Foret de 

 Retz (Villers Cotterets), and the saw-mills, etc., in the vicinity of 

 the town. 



The first place visited was the Sleeper Works of the North of 

 France Railway. The sleepers are made principally from rough 

 beech and oak, chiefly the former, and are cut into sizes of 

 S\ feet X 5 X 10 inches. Each sleeper contains about 3 cubic 

 feet, and is valued at 5s. They are all thoroughly creosoted by 

 being put, in lots of 120, into tanks 6 feet 6 inches in diameter 

 and 26 feet in length. The machine for shaping the sleepers to 

 receive the rail-plates, and for boring the holes for the bolts at 

 the same time, was observed with interest. S-shaped clamps, 

 5 inches long by | inch deep, are driven into the ends of the 

 sleepers to prevent splitting, and flat-topped nails, with the year 

 moulded on them, are driven into the sleepers to perpetuate their 

 date. The life of creosoted beech sleepers is here estimated to 

 be 30 years. 



At the works of M. Carpentier, which were next inspected, the 

 manufacture of clogs (galoches) chiefly occupied the attention of 

 members. These are cut out by vertical spindle machinery, 

 finished by hand, and turned out at the rate of 400,000 pairs per 

 annum. The labour is done by piecework, chiefly by boys, who 



