ON DISPOSING OF THE PRODUCE OF WOODS, ETC. 159 



XVI. On the different Modes of disposing of the Produce of 

 Woods and Plantations. By Andrew Peebles, Highclere 

 Castle, Hampshire. 



Great diversity of opinion exists amongst arboriculturists in regard 

 to the best means of disposing of the produce of woods and planta- 

 tions. This is apparent, if we observe the sales of timber advertised 

 in the various county papers. There we see timber to be sold by 

 the cubic foot, by the load, by the lineal yard, by the number of 

 sleepers and pit-props, by the tree or hundred trees, by the lot, by 

 the ton, by the acre, &c. In one district the timber is cut and 

 arranged in convenient lots adjacent to good roads, while in the 

 adjoining county the whole of the produce is sold standing. There 

 are public sales, private sales, and sales by tender, all more or less 

 practised by experienced foresters in different localities. If we 

 inquire into the cause of this great diversity of procedure, we find 

 it dependent on local circumstances ; and yet how often is it attri- 

 buted to apathy, or inexperience on the part of the forester. Many 

 of our practical men are accused of having no fixed principles in 

 regard to this branch of forestry, simply because they find it expe- 

 dient to deviate from the old beaten track, and adopt various modes 

 of selling the produce of the plantations under their charge. I give 

 a resume of my own experience of the different modes of selling 

 home-grown timber and underwood, and may mention that I have 

 seen a public sale of pit-props realise less money than if they had 

 been sold privately, simply because the purchasers were not con- 

 nected with any collieries, and consecpiently left a large margin for 

 intermediate profits. In the same district, I have seen oak for which 

 the forester was offered Is. 2d. per foot j)rivately, sold by auction 

 for Is. 9d. per foot. Again, if the plantations are within easy dis- 

 tance of a powder factory, where a fixed price prevails for charwood, 

 that circumstance will be taken advantage of when there is any 

 powder wood for sale. It would serve no good purpose to sell small 

 alder, birch, limetree, &c, otherwise than by private sale, although, 

 on the same estate, the most profitable way to dispose of oak, ash, 

 and other hard woods may be by public auction. I have myself 

 sold alder in the Lothians at L.l per ton; in Lancashire at Is. per 

 foot, and in Hampshire at L.22 per acre. Here we have three dis- 

 tinct modes of disposing of the same sort of produce, and each 

 equally appropriate for the locality where the crop was grown. It 



