THE PRICES OF HOME TIMBER. 2 27 



It will be seen that the net price works out at the following 

 approximate figures for home-grown manufactured timber : — 

 Scots pine, spruce and silver 

 fir pit sleepers and crowns 

 Scots pine boards 

 Spruce deals . 

 Spruce boards 

 Larch boards . . 



Battens of a good length — up to 20 feet and 4 ins., 5 ins. 

 and 6 ins. by 2 ins. — pay better than pit sleepers, making up to 

 IS. id. per cubic foot, and occasionally higher prices are 

 obtained for longer lengths and special outlets, e.g., deals up 

 to 20 feet, for box-making, at is. 2d. without brokers' charges. 



If the expenses of felling, dragging, sawing and consigning 

 be taken at the modest estimate of 5d. per cubic foot for sleepers 

 and 6d. per cubic foot for boards, the profits to be divided 

 between landowner and timber merchant are approximately as 

 follows : — 



Scots pine, spruce and silver 



fir pit sleepers . . 3|d. per cubic foot. 



Scots pine boards . . os. 8d. ,, ,, 



Spruce deals and boards . os. yd. „ ,, 



Larch boards . . is. id.i „ ,, 



It is not to be wondered at that in many cases even the best 

 quality of Scots pine and spruce are unsaleable owing to their 

 growing in remote districts, from which the cost of removal 

 would exceed the ultimate market price. 



It is a significant fact that the same consumers who are 

 buying home timber at the foregoing prices are buying foreign 

 timber of the same size and quality and for the same purposes 

 at a price which would make it possible to realise the timber, 

 even in the remotest parts of Scotland, at a handsome profit. 



The foregoing remarks apply more particularly to the timber 

 from Scots pine and spruce, which form the main bulk of the 

 home supplies. The same principles apply, however, to other 

 species. Larch being scarce and not subject to such severe 

 foreign competition, usually makes a fairly good price. The 

 hardwood market, which is an important one in the south of 



^ The cost of sawing larch is greater than that of sawing Scots pine and 

 spruce — say 7d. per cubic foot. 



