THE PRICES OF HOME TIMBER. 225 



7 ins. by 3 ins. and 7 ins. by 2^ ins.^ The enormous difference 

 which such prices would make on the price of standing timber 

 is best shown by the following figures : — 



Whitezvood. Redwood, 

 Sale price of sawn timber on rail . iid. 1/6 i/i 1/9 



Cost of manufacture, viz. : — ■ 



Felling and cross-cutting, dragging 

 and hauling, saw-mill charges, 

 etc., per cub. ft."' . . . 6d. 6d. 6d. 6d. 



Price of standing timber . . 5d. i/- 7d. 1/3 



Increase in price . . . 140 7o 1^4 L 



It must, of course, be understood that these figures relate 

 only to ist quality timber, and even the best standing crop 

 must contain a certain proportion of 2nd and 3rd quality timber 

 on which the increase in price would not be so great. 



A single instance of a similar comparison between home and 

 foreign timber may be quoted. The price of railway sleepers 

 from home-grown Scots pine is 2s. rod. to 3s. 2d. each, or about 

 IS. per cubic foot. The price of 2nd and 3rd quality foreign 

 red, which is the corresponding grade, is is. gd. to is. 6d. per 

 cubic foot, making the cost per sleeper 5s. 3d. down to 4s. 6d. 

 It is well known from the long experience of the Scottish 

 railway companies that home-grown are quite as good as 

 foreign-grown sleepers. 



While the foregoing comparison illustrates the difference in 

 current prices for home and foreign timber when both are 

 utilised in the same markets, the situation is really far more 

 serious than the mere figures would indicate, for in the principal 

 industries in this country home timber is almost entirely ex- 

 cluded. Even in well-wooded country districts foreign wood 

 is almost invariably used in buildings, except on large estates 

 possessing private saw-mills. The result is that the chief 

 industries to which timber is applied are those requiring only 

 the cheapest class of timber, such as the manufacture of packing- 



^ In the wagon trade larch is held to be equivalent to foreign " redwood " 

 of medium qualities. 



'^ No allowance is made for wastage in sawdust, slabs, etc., in sawing, 

 as this is allowed for by the method commonly adopted for the calculation of 

 the cubic contents of timber in the round. 



