1:2 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in spite of the lavif?h expenditure of wood on works connected 

 with the floating of timber, which must strike with astonishment 

 every visitor to these regions. 



When the quantity of snow on the ground does not render this 

 impossible, the fellings are usually made in the winter ; but 

 otherwise they are cfiected after the snow has melted, say atbout 

 the month of May, when the sap is beginning to rise. The trees 

 are immediately barked, the top branches being left uncut, so as 

 to draw up the sap from the lower part of the trunk, and thus 

 facilitate its drying. In autumn, the timber is cut up and con- 

 veyed outside the limits of the block in which it was felled ; and 

 in the succeeding winter, it is moved down to the river side, so 

 that it may, in the spring and summer, be floated down to the 

 markets. As the works of various kinds which have to be con- 

 structed in connection with the floating arrangements are on a 

 large scale, and involve a very heavy outlay, the forest oflScers are 

 required to possess a complete knowledge of this branch of 

 engineering. 



Sufficient labour is, generally speaking, obtainable among the 

 agricultural population for all ordinary work, such as sowing and 

 planting, sliding, drawing, floating and sawing of timber, making 

 of charcoal, and the like ; but should large orders be received for 

 cask staves, or railway sleepers, contractors bring additional work- 

 men from the Austrian province of Carniola. It is customary to 

 farm a portion of the forest produce to the commune, in return for 

 the transport of a certain quantity of wood. The timber floaters are 

 a strong hardy race, whom long practice has taught to work with 

 safety upon the most difficult and dangerous rivers. The original 

 workmen were Germans from the Black Forest ; but there are now 

 many " Szekelyek " from Transylvania, and Wallachians, who have 

 learnt the business from the Germans. 



A bad feature in the present system is that, partly from long 

 custom, and partly from the prevalence of a false idea that the stock 

 is very abundant, the cutting up and working out of the produce is 

 wastefully conducted, thus causing a loss of from 30 to 40 per cent. 

 of the wood. As the stock of timber decreases, and prices rise, an 

 improvement in this respect will doubtless be effected ; and, when 

 the workmen are better trained, much of the present waste will 

 be avoided. The State employs 2933 permanent, and 19,840 

 temporary, hands. The former, who act as instructors to the latter, 

 are a most useful class ; and some colonies of them, founded during 



