50 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



specification. The building trade of this country has been built 

 up on the foreign specification of sizes, and I think the simplest 

 way is to stick to these sizes. Architects would then know that 

 the same sizes could be got in home timber as in foreign timber. 

 It would simplify procedure all through. 



" As regards seasoning, I have had considerable experience 

 in seasoning timber — not home timber but foreign. Foreign 

 timber is cut up mostly in the wintertime. It has a considerable 

 amount of seasoning before it reaches this country. For some 

 purposes it is ready for use, for other purposes more seasoning 

 is required. In my own trade I do not consider foreign timber 

 ready for use until we have had it over a year in our own shed 

 properly sticked and thoroughly seasoned. We have often 

 imported logs from Archangel, and we found that while some 

 battens required a year's seasoning, some required eighteen 

 months to two years to season. I would like to point out that 

 the better quality of timber, if you are to get full value, requires 

 to be sticked under cover for eighteen months before it is ready 

 for use. Either the timber merchant or consumer must do 

 that. Of course if the timber merchant does it, he will get 

 more for his timber ; if the buyer does it the timber merchant 

 will get less." 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell. — "The point about the foreign 

 specification is a very important one." 



Mr Wm. Black (Home Timber Merchants' Association of 

 Scotland) said : — " We have heard a very interesting discussion 

 in regard to the utilisation of home timber and the various 

 purposes it can be used for. I think we have all come to the 

 conclusion now that home timber is in a position to take 

 its place beside foreign timber. I am in rather a unique 

 position here, not only being a home timber merchant but 

 also in the contracting line. Before the war, I, like many 

 of my friends, would not use home timber (even though we 

 had our own mills). But during the war it has been forced 

 upon us. 



" In regard to the afforestation scheme, Sir John, unless the 

 Government sees to it that home timber is used in the future, 

 we have every chance of drifting back to the position before the 

 war, because foreign merchants will import all the timber they 

 require, and will not use home timber unless some committee 

 is formed and proper procedure is adopted. There is no doubt 



