CONCLUSION. 427 



timber-depot, or to a junction with an ordinary railway-line. 

 It is, however, evident that for such a purpose only plateaux 

 and plains can be utilised. The introduction of portable 

 tramways into the forest-range of Einsiedel-Bebenhausen is 

 well worthy of imitation, for there also a considerable saving 

 of expense as compared with cart-traffic has resulted. 



[British railway-companies are often the owners of steamers 

 and of quays at seaports, and therefore in order to attract 

 custom favour the transport of foreign timber, by charging 

 lower freights than for home produce* from intermediate 

 stations. The rates for transport for home-timber are also 

 much higher than on Continental railways, as the following 



table shows : ivr t,n per mile. 



in PL- nee. 



England 2'5 



Belgium -6 



France ..... -7 



Germany ..... -57 Tr.] 



7. Canals. 



In lowlands, canals are even more useful than railways, 

 owing to the reduced cost of transport which they involve. 

 The network of canals in Prussia is now being rapidly extended, 

 and enormous quantities of indigenous and foreign timber 

 are carried by the various canals. Canals are now being 

 constructed to unite UK; Rhine with the Weser, and also with 

 the Danube and Main (V/ 1 . p. 40'.)). 



8. Conclusion. 



Facilitating wood-transport by increasing and improving 

 the means of communication within and outside the forest 

 has become a question of the first importance. Forestry has 

 in many places lagged behind almost every other industry in 

 this respect. Owing to the situation of forests, transport 



* In the United States of America, owing to cheap acquisition of land for 

 railways and rough construction, the capital expenditure is much less than in 

 the United Kingdom. Consequently freights for timber are much lower ; and 

 owing to the plan of charging by complete car-loads, instead of merely by 

 weight as here, a car-load is hauled for l.oon miles for 12.v. or 13*. per ton, 

 costing more here for 100 miles. 



