THE ECONOMIC DISPOSAL OF CONIFEROUS TIMBER. 257 



time. Compensation is paid for all unnecessary damage to 

 fences, gates and shrubs, etc., and the tyres of all wood waggons 

 and carts are required to be at least 4 inches wide. 



Offers are then invited either by public tender, i.e. by advertis- 

 ing in newspapers and journals or by private tender, i.e. notifying 

 selected timber merchants of the conditions of sale. In certain 

 cases also timber is put into the market and sold by public 

 auction. 



When timber merchants receive this notice they usually come 

 and inspect the material. As a preliminary to inspection they 

 make inquiries regarding the supply of local labour, the local 

 rate of wages, housing and stabling accommodation, etc. 



Up to the present their method of surveying the timber has 

 been purely by ocular estimate, which as shown before may be 

 as much as 50 per cent, under estimated. It is often difficult to 

 obtain the full value for timber when offered for sale on account 

 of merchants refusing to encroach upon each other's territory. 

 Another reason is that timber is sometimes offered for sale when 

 the market is glutted through windfalls. The vendor should 

 therefore know the prices which prevail in the principal distant 

 markets as well as those in the local markets. 



Measurement Allowances. 



The allowances claimed by timber merchants are somewhat 

 varied in nature. The usual bark allowance is i inch in 12 inches 

 quarter-girth, rising half an inch in every 3 inches of increase in 

 quarter-girth. This however is by no means strictly adhered to ; 

 for example, recently 2 inches was claimed as bark allowance 

 for Douglas fir, when on actual measurement under bark half 

 an inch was found to be the real allowance. Timber less than 

 6, 7 and 9 inches diameter is classed as tops and claimed free 

 by the timber merchant. Some time ago an offer was received 

 for larch in which timber down to 12 inches was to be measured, 

 the remainder of the tree to be classed as a top and to go free. 



When stems are pumped the method of procedure is to 

 estimate the length of log affected, which part is deducted from 

 the total length so that the quarter-girth is taken higher on the 

 trees. The purchaser then has the affected part free, in spite of 

 the fact that it may have a greater value than the first section of 

 equal length above the centre of the tree. Due allowances are 

 also claimed for wind-shaken and splintered wood. 



