230 FELLING AND CONVERSION OF TIMBER. 



for transport. Any further preparation of the wood into 

 marketable pieces is usually the work of the timber-merchant, 

 or middle-man. 



No part of the work on the felling-area is more important 

 than rough conversion, or requires greater supervision and 

 care on the part of the forest-manager, for it has a very great 

 influence on the forest revenue. In order that a forest may 

 be managed so as to satisfy the demands of its owner, as well 

 as of the neighbouring population, it is necessary in forestry, 

 as in all other branches of industry, that every endeavour 

 should be made to utilise the raw material completely and in 

 all possible ways, and thus meet the actual requirements of 

 the public. The trees therefore must be converted into timber 

 from an entirely mercantile point of view. 



As a last resort, all timber can be used as firewood ; when- 

 ever then it is fit for fuel only, the business of conversion is 

 reduced to the simple operation of preparing the usual sorts 

 of firewood. 



Since, however, in most districts the value of firewood has 

 of late years been greatly reduced, and a revenue can be 

 obtained from many forests only by sale of the timber which 

 they produce, the most important point here is the conversion 

 of the latter. The chief rule is, therefore, to produce as much 

 timber of good quality as possible, and in order to attain this 

 object thoroughly, a forester must have a certain knowledge of 

 the requirements of the different industries where wood is used. 



The Wurtemburg rules for the conversion of wood are excel- 

 lent, (i.) The outturn of timber as compared with firewood 

 should be as large as possible, (ii.) All the material from a 

 felling should be converted so as to produce the highest possible 

 pecuniary return, (iii.) All logs should be as long as possible, 

 (iv.) Sound timber should be separated from all that is 

 of doubtful quality, (v.) Defects should not be concealed, 

 (vi.) The converted wood should have a good external shape. 



The subject will be dealt with as follows : first, the cir- 

 cumstances which decide on the mode of conversion to be 

 applied ; then the usual assortments of timber and firewood 

 and the work of conversion by the woodcutter ; and, finally, 

 the general principles of rough conversion. 



