notes and queries. ii7 



The Janker Cart. 

 ( With Plate.) 



This cart is very useful for the transport of heavy logs of 

 timber, and may be drawn by either one or two horses according 

 to the weight of the log. Most of our large timber was formerly 

 moved with either an ordinary timber cart or with a pole 

 janker. The janker cart possesses much simplicity and ease of 

 handling, and has the advantage over a pole janker that an 

 inexperienced man can lift very large logs of timber alone. 



On the other hand, however, in its original form the janker 

 cart is not so useful as the pole janker for the removal of long 

 timber. As a general rule its limit for length is about i8 feet. 



The illustration (Plate X.) shows the cart in use in this form, 

 but it can be readily transformed into a pole janker by the removal 

 of the shafts and fittings, and substituting a suitably mounted pole 

 on the axle. The cart consists of ordinary janker wheels and axle 

 with two shafts over the axle similar to an ordinary wood cart. 

 It will also be observed that on these shafts — in front and 

 behind the axle — are fixed two steel bows which form part of the 

 same circle as the axle. Through these bows pass two powerful 

 screws, and to these the chains used for lifting the wood are 

 fastened. For the conveyance of heavy logs of timber under 

 18 feet in length, the cart is superior to the pole janker. 



A. Murray. 



Home-Grown Pitwood. 



As stated by Mr Milne Home in his important article on 

 "The Home Pitwood Supply," the Forestry Branch of the Board 

 of Agriculture for Scotland foresaw, immediately on the 

 outbreak of war, that there was a possibility of our supplies 

 of pitwood, especially those from the Baltic, being seriously 

 reduced, if not entirely stopped. The first thing, therefore, 

 to be done, was to ascertain the supplies required to keep 

 the mining industries going, and to see how far these could 

 be met by the utilisation of home-grown timber. The result 

 of these prompt inquiries was to indicate that, with proper 

 organisation, the necessary supplies could be obtained from our 

 home forests for at least a year. A Committee, representative 

 of all the interests concerned, was appointed to deal with the 

 whole question, including the supply of labour. An important 



