MANUAL LABOUK. 157 



is in Germany a general rule to entrust the fellings to wood- 

 cutters under the pay and control of the forest-owner, and only 

 exceptionally to employees of wood-merchants. The latter 

 method was formerly more frequent, and is still followed largely 

 in France and Britain, and occasionally in Germany. 



Speaking quite generally, whenever the sale of the 

 wood will barely cover the cost of its conversion, timber- 

 exploitation may be left to the purchaser of standing trees, 

 either by the sale in block of all standing trees on a certain area, 

 or by single marked trees. In high mountain-districts there 

 are localities difficult of access, where frequently the conversion 

 and transport of timber would cost more than its value, if 

 done by other agency than that of the timber-merchant, such 

 as State agency, or that of a private forest-owner. In such 

 cases it is better to sell trees to a merchant. Where timber 

 has to be given away to right-holders, in cases where only 

 inferior material is in question and there is no fear of the 

 right-holders defrauding the forest-owner by taking too much 

 produce, it is also better to allow them to fell and convert the 

 trees. In forests belonging to poor communes, or villages, it 

 may be more economical for the villagers to work-out the 

 timber for themselves. 



In all these cases restrictions for the benefit of the forest 

 must be imposed on the woodcutters, just as if they were 

 directly under the control of the forest-owner. 



It is evident that only by the employment of woodcutters 

 engaged and paid by himself can the forest-owner maintain a 

 satisfactory and permanent labour-force, and this he should 

 always endeavour to secure. Such an object, however, is 

 not always attainable, and though to secure this is occasion- 

 ally easy, it is sometimes very difficult. This depends on 

 local circumstances, and especially on the superfluity or want 

 of labourers, the duration of work in the forests, and the 

 conditions of employment offered to the labourers by the 

 forest-owner. 



The supply of forest labour fluctuates with the season of 

 the year. Owing to increased production of wealth, to modern 

 laws regulating industry and to the rapidly improving means 

 of transport, the conditions of labour have altered considerably 



