STATE OF ARBORICULTURE IN NORTH LANCASHIRE. 195 
trees left standing as the proprietor’s men. Cutting down timber 
previous to sale is a common practice. Classing and arranging the 
timber in lots and selling by auction is also practised upon some 
estates, and, in most cases, this I consider the most satisfactory way 
for disposing of a mixed lot of timber. In selling by measurement 
a tree is generally measured up to where it will girth six inches on 
the side, no allowance for bark being made on any class of timber. 
Small pitwood is often sold by lineal measure, and by this system 
much time is saved in measuring. 
Demand for Timber in the County.—When one looks at the 
quantity of timber annually imported into the mining districts of 
Lancashire, one would naturally imagine that the growing of timber 
trees would have formed a more important item in the management 
of the estates in this county than it has done, and that landed 
proprietors would ere this have largely increased the acreage of their 
woodlands. I will now give a list of the principal kinds of wood 
most in demand, and the prices that I have received for wood this 
season. The prices quoted are for timber lying in the planta- 
tions, two miles from a railway station (alder excepted, as the 
cloggers prepare all their soles in the wood), the principal markets 
for the wood ranging from twenty to forty miles on the railway. 
The disastrous gales of last year have had a serious effect in lowering 
the price of timber in this county as well as others. Oak that used 
to sell at 2s. 6d. per foot only draws ls. to 1s. 3d. per foot. Scots 
fir and spruce are unsaleable at any price, and in many woods that 
are in any way difficult of access, I believe a great deal of that class 
of timber will be allowed to lie and rot. 
poe ion Age. Price per Foot. Observations. 
‘ | 
oS eee | a. 
wad <4 | § Fair demand if elean for | 
Ash, 40 years. | 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. | Haudiciat 
. + | { Always in demand for clog- 
Alder, ae 10d. to Is. (ging and bobbin wood. 
Beech, Gomes. ot 8d. _ Not much in demand, 
Eln, (a eal | 9d. to Is. | Used for wheel naves. 
Oak, HO ens yelstolseiod: 
Larch, AO); 8d. 
Scots Fir, = oe | No demand at present. 
Spruce, rs | 2: _ No demand at present. 
Pitwood, EA | 15s. perton. | 
Bark.—Oak bark has sold this season from £4, 15s. to £5 per 
