212 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



the commonly accepted terms, which will then be referred to the name 

 which is botanically correct. 



The produce of Pinus sylvestris when imported as logs is called in 

 England " fir timber " and abroad " red fir." If imported in the form 

 of boards, scantlings, battens, deals, or planks it is called " yellow " or 

 " yeUow deal " in London and " red " or " red deal " in the provinces, 

 while abroad it is known as " red " or " redwood." 



Picea excelsa in logs is also called " fir " in England and " fir timber " 

 or " white fir " abroad. When sawn it is known as " white " or " white 

 deal " in England and " white " abroad. 



These two woods are the most commonly used. The trade in them 

 has been carried on for hundreds of years, for the northern countries of 

 Europe abound in vast forests of these trees, which, having a free natural 

 regeneration, have been able to meet the enormous demand of successive 

 generations. 



There is proof that the timber was familiar in England in the seven- 

 teenth century, for Milton wrote in Paradise Lost : 



His spear, to equal which the tallest pine 

 Hewn on Norwegian hills to be the mast 

 Of some tall Ammiral, was but a wand. 



Most of the carved work in pine of the late sixteenth and seventeenth 

 centuries, many fine examples of which can be seen in the Victoria and 

 Albert Museum at South Kensington, was executed in this wood. Nor- 

 wegian, Swedish, and Danzig pine were probably used indiscriminately. 

 An interesting record of the early use of the wood is provided by the 

 following accounts for the building of a partition in Glasgow Cathedral in 

 1713. They are quoted in a recent letter of A. M. C. to the Timber 

 Trades Journal : 



To five long hundred daills and ane short hundred daills and ten 



daills at 15 shill. the peice .... 



To sawing 210 of the said daills at 9 pound per hundred 



To 130 foot firr timber to the said use 14 shill. 6d. per foot is 



To sawing six draught long trees 125 shill. per draught is 



To sawing 18 draught trees at 6 shill. 8d. per draught is 



To Francis Stevenson, wright, for himself and servitors for 



Wright work wrought be him in the outer and inner kirks, 



putting up the partition wall betwixt the outer kirk and 



queir (choir) and making up a broken pend and purple wall 



behind the wistloft, and scaffolds to the work, and sarking 



and lyning the spars, and taking off the lead and putting 



on new, and to pleasterers conforme to particular accompt 220 o o 



Docmnentary evidence is available to show that in 1798 the following 



imports were made : 



Timber . . . 31,302 



Deals .... 21,503 

 Wainscot . . . 21,072 



