FOREST UTILISATION in 



strong wire, that is stretched from the side of a valley into 

 the depth below. To the cable the logs are suspended by 

 chains, while wheels running on the cable are the means of 

 lowering the timber. 



Timber-slides and Sledge-roads are formed for the re- 

 moval of wood from high-lying ground down to lower land. 

 They should be provided with such a declivity that little 

 or no force need be used to bring the produce down 

 gravitation being relied upon for its transmission. The 

 work of the men in charge is then reduced to setting the 

 timber in motion, guiding its course, or, in the case of sledges, 

 occasionally moderating the speed and steering. 



The best gradient depends on the character of the path ; 

 a prepared snow or ice path does well, with a fall of 8 in 

 I oo feet ; without snow (earth slide) ten to eighteen per cent, 

 is necessary. When pieces of wood have been laid on the 

 sides of the sliding track to prevent the logs from leaving it, 

 fifteen to eighteen per cent, is usual ; while for use only over 

 snow in winter the same type of slide should have a gradient 

 of ten to twelve per cent. 



A special kind of timber-slide is a prepared channel made 

 from six or eight logs or poles arranged together laterally in 

 the form of a trough. Much wood is, of course, necessary 

 for the construction and maintenance of the wooden timber- 

 slide. Down such channels timber travels by its own weight. 

 Slides of this description are used both in summer and winter. 

 When the presence of snow during a lengthened period is 

 assured, and the intention is to employ the slide in winter, 

 the declivity ought to be only about half of that for a slide 

 used in summer. In the former case, for long timber the fall 

 should be eight to ten per cent., for shorter logs ten to fifteen 

 per cent. ; and for those in summer transport, fifteen to twenty 

 per cent, and twenty-five to thirty per cent, respectively. 

 Short sliding tracks or skidways often serve to bring the 

 produce down out of the woods, depositing it at the nearest 

 road, where the further conveyance of the timber is under- 

 taken by carts, timber-wagons, jankers, etc. Where the 



