Io6 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



direct sea transport is, in this country at least, for any area of 

 woodland that is to be worked at a profit. This is owing to the 

 high railway rates and the want of encouragement in the way 

 of providing waggons and other facilities at country loading 

 banks, and also to the fact that preferential rates are given to 

 foreign timber owing, presumably, to the fact that there is a 

 constant traffic in it. 



That a considerable trade in home wood exists is proved by 

 the fact that one old-established firm at Larbert has four saw- 

 mills at different places in Scotland, and eleven portable mills 

 working in various parts of the country, and they employ on an 

 average 400 men exclusively on the home wood trade. One 

 member of the firm — who is an enthusiast regarding home 

 timber — to show the faith that is in him, built himself a house 

 some years ago and used home timber for every purpose, from 

 the roof tree down to delicate pieces of furniture. What is 

 wanted, however, is a constant and intelligent demand on 

 behalf of the public which will make it worth while for the 

 home timber merchant to lay down and season a stock of 

 timber for domestic purposes, and also will encourage him, when 

 he is cutting up wood for rough purposes, always to lay on 

 one side selected stuflF that is suitable for building work. 



Let us consider what woods there are grown in Scotland 



which are waiting to be used for building purposes. Roughly 



they are as follows : larch and Scots pine can be used for joisting, 



roof timbers, etc., and from these woods also can be cut roof 



boarding and flooring boards, 3|-inch widths being the most 



economical width to use owing to the fact that this also 



is the width of a paling rail, and in cutting up the timber 



the best can be laid on one side for flooring. Larch or Scots pine 



can also be used for ordinary window finishings, window boards, 



etc. Douglas fir, which is akin to larch and better than 



Scots pine, can be used for the same purposes. Selected spruce 



can be used for rafters and ties ; home spruce can, in fact, be 



used for all purposes for which foreign white wood is now used. 



The indigenous Scots pine — which is practically the same as the 



famous Rannoch pine — if carefully selected makes beautiful 



panelling. Many old Scottish houses contain charming rooms, 



such as the well-known room at Rosslyn Castle, panelled in 



red pine, untouched by either paint or varnish, which time has 



turned into a beautiful cool colour. 



