DISPOSING OF HOME-GROWN TIMBER. 91 



Larch. — Sleepers, 8 feet 9 inches by 10 inches by 5 inches. All 

 slabbed on the back 4 inches. Also, 8 feet by 9 inches by 

 4£ inches, slabbed or half round — free of heart-rot or other 

 disease. 



Fir. — Deals, 8, 9, 10, and 12 feet, §, f, and 1 inch thick. 

 Staves, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36 inches by \ inch, to 

 average 4 inches ; the first four sizes often wanted -| inch thick. 

 38, 40, and 42 inch staves are cut f inch thick. Boxwood is gener- 

 ally cut 6 feet 8 inches long, § inch thick, and from 2 to 10 inches 

 broad, to be all good lengths and square edged, sound and market- 

 able timbei*. Larch staves, 31 inches by ^ inch. Heading for 

 do., 18," 3 6, 72, and 88 inches long by f inch. Alder the same. 

 Large sizes of larch, suitable for boat or ship building, should be 

 sold in the rough state, as also oak, elm, and other woods suitable 

 for these purposes, as the appliances of ordinary saw-mills are 

 unsuitable for the profitable manufacture of such sizes. Sjiruce 

 may be cut into sleepers 9 feet by 9 inches by 4 \ inches, and 8 feet 

 by 8 inches by 4 inches ; also, into fence posts, 6 feet by 7 inches 

 by 3 inches, or 6 feet by 6 inches by 4 inches ; and pit- wood, Z\ 

 inches by 3 J inches — any length. Small oak, ash, elm, and syca- 

 more may be cut into staves and heading, 42 inches by f inch, 

 pit-wood, etc. The best ports to send Scotch fir and spruce sleepers, 

 and pit- wood, fence posts, etc., to, is Sunderland ; larch sleepers, 

 deals, and hardwood staves, to Hartlepool ; fir deals and staves to 

 Newcastle ; boxwood to Bristol ; larch staves and heading should 

 be sold to local curers. Wood for shipbuilding purposes should be 

 sent to the best shipbuilding ports in Scotland or England. The 

 small trees should be cut into rails for fences, paling, rick posts, 

 and other country requirements ; and, along with the brushwood, 

 fragments, and refuse, sold by public auction. These sales should 

 be periodical. 



All the work should be done by contract ; felling and cross- 

 cutting, sawing and piling, and all the cartage, unless done by road 

 locomotive. The latter mode is certainly the cheapest. The steam- 

 engine should be placed in charge of a careful, steady, and experi- 

 enced man, whose business it should be to look after the plant, 

 and prevent bashing, and the whole placed under the charge of 

 the forester or wood manager, who should have full power to act 

 as if he were transacting business on his own account, except 

 that his books and accounts should be examined quarterly, or 

 oftener if required, by the factor or employer. All payments 



