SOS Experiments on the Strength and Stiffness 



Dantzic fir; but, fiom tlie best judgement I can form, the Dantzic 

 and Riga timber assimilate in quality and strength, when equally 

 clear of knots. " Rt. Seppings." 



The evidence of Lancelot Holland, Esq. presents some curious 

 fiicts. The following is an extract: 



" In what business are you engaged? — A timber merchant. 



" Are vou also a builder ? — No, I have never been a builder. 



" You are acquainted with the timber of the north of Europe 

 and of North America? — Buying and selling considerably all 

 foreign timber. 



" Can you speak to the comparative quality of the different 

 kinds of timber ? — The best timber which conies into London, 

 I believe to be the Riga timber. The Dantzic timber is a larger 

 grown timber ; it is of a size which you cannot procure from Riga, 

 and the quality is perhaps quite as good. 1 think the general 

 prejudice is in favour of the Risa; and that next to those comes 

 the Memel, which is of exactly the same size as the Riga timber, 

 but it is coarser ; it is more knotty, and therefore more liable to 

 break. Then comes the Swedish timber ; next to that, the red 

 pine timber from America. I omitted Norway timber because 

 there is so very small a quantity of it used ; the duty is so very 

 heavv; there is hardlv any of it imported to make it a subject of 

 consideration ; the red pine timber is about equal in price, and 

 I believe as good as the Swedish timber in quality. 



" Where would vou place the Norway timber in point of qua- 

 lity ? — Perhaps first, certainly not second to any. After the red 

 pine, you come into a large field of different timbers, which come 

 from America, which are all called the yellow pine, and are all 

 of an inferior quality, of a softer wood. 



" Wiiat are the differences ? — I think that shipped from Mi- 

 ramichi is rather stronger than what comes from Quebec. 



" You consider the American timber as greatly inferior to the 

 Baltic ? — Not the red pine. I think, if the red pine is well ma- 

 nufactured, it is as good as any timber that comes into London. 

 I believe, if the red pine could be manufactured so as to be ex- 

 actly like Riga Vnnber, there would not be more than 10^. a load, 

 1 am sure not more than 5.?. difference between the value of that 

 and Memel timber; but in the manufactory, it is to be considered, 

 the timber is all measured here, and if it is not quite square and 

 parallel there is a great loss, the angles being measured as if they 

 were square ; this loss might amount to about 10 per cent. 



" Do you consider the yellow timber as very inferior? — Tiiat 

 is not fit for building purposes ; it is very good for some purposes ; 

 for finishing the inside of rooms it will do, but it will not do for 



strength ; 



