:jj() WOOD TRANSPORT BY LAND. 



B. MODE OF CONVEYANCE. 



The conveyance of the converted wood along roads to the 

 collecting or sale depots is effected either by men or beasts. 



(a) Conveyance by Men. 



Conveyance by men is confined almost entirely to sledging, 

 which in transport, as opposed to clearance of the felling- 

 area, takes place on permanent sledge-roads. Only firewood 

 and scantling or butts, but not long logs, may be thus trans- 

 ported. In the case of sledges, it is impossible to draw any 

 sharp distinction between transport and clearance, except that 

 in high mountain-regions sledging bears more of the character 

 of transport, and in lower hills, of clearance. From both 

 points of view the methods of sledging have been described 

 already (p. 272). 



In forests of low hills and plains, no permanent sledge-roads 

 exist, and sledges are used only to convey the wood to the nearest 

 cart-road. In mountainous regions, however, there is no object 

 in removing the wood merely from the felling-area to the nearest 

 road. It is a question of transporting it for miles over permanent 

 sledge-roads down to the valleys to depots, or rafting-stations, 

 at low altitudes ; this implies a separate industry not always 

 intimately connected with the felling operations. 



i. Winter Sledginy. 



In most cases sledging is done over the snow, and the same 

 kinds of sledges are used as in clearance of the felling- area (vide 

 p. 271). Sledges used for firewood have high side-pieces, but 

 for those used for cariying butts, the loads are fastened by 

 means of chains and ropes, and the sledges are longer, as shown 

 in Fig. 180, which represents a Bavarian timber-sledge. Before 

 sledging begins, the wood is frequently piled-up in stacks, but 

 usually the sledge is laden on the felling-urea and brought 

 down to the depot. Wherever sledging is done indepen- 

 dently of tlio felling operations, and by many workmen acting 

 together, a certain order a,nd uniformity in the operations will 

 bo found very ellective. Therefore, and in order to avoid 



