44 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Scots pine, larch, and spruce, and was quite satisfied with them 

 all." 



Mr Ryle (Office of Works) said :— "The Office of Works have 

 used a considerable amount of English oak. We had to use it 

 for the roof of Glasgow Cathedral as we could not get Scots oak. 

 I think the immediate problem is, How are we to get hold of 

 home-grown softwoods for our buildings, and how are we to 

 specify, and how are we to get what we specify? Taking 

 carpentry work, we are using much home timber to-day, and 

 it is quite suitable for ordinary carpentry work provided it is 

 put in a situation to which air will get free access. Houses 

 must be thoroughly ventilated, otherwise we shall have trouble 

 with dry rot." 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell. — "That applies also to imported 

 timber." 



Mr Ryle. — " Not to the same extent." 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell. — "That is because it is seasoned." 



Mr Ryle. — " Yes. The timber trade should arrange to confer 

 with the architects and the building trade as to the standards of 

 quality, that is, a standard grading as regards methods of con- 

 version, and also as to a standard of sizes. In connection with 

 the building trade, we have been endeavouring for the last four 

 years to standardise our specification so that we might all know 

 what we are talking about when we mention a particular 

 subject. The architect should have a proper specification for 

 each quality of timber, and should be able to know that he 

 will get the quality of timber for which he specified. One way 

 would be for the timber merchant to deposit samples with the 

 various architectural institutes all over the country. Architects 

 could go and see these samples, and see what was represented 

 by the specification. The architect would always use only 

 home-grown timber if he was sure he could get timber that 

 would be suitable for the work. I think this difficulty is simply 

 due to very unscientific selection at the present moment. As a 

 practical point the first thing to do is for the timber trades to 

 confer with the architects and the builders and the surveyors on 

 these points, and to arrive at a definite classification of timber 

 for building-trade purposes." 



Mr Paterson (Ministry of Health) said: — "I may say that 

 the Scottish Board of Health has no prejudice against the use 

 of home-grown timber, but they have to guard against any 



