822 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



When the tree comes down, it is cross-cut by other men paid at a lower rate 

 than the fellers, into such lengths as seem best. The smaller end of the log is 

 then bevelled off and two deep notches cut, into which a pair of iron claws are fixed, 

 and attached to the wire rope of the donkey engine. A signal is then given by 

 wire from the men in charge of the log to the engineer, who commences winding 

 up the rope, and with frequent stoppages caused by the log being jammed among 

 stumps and other obstructions, it is at last dragged either to a prepared skid road, 

 where another donkey engine hauls it to the loading point, or direct to where 

 the trucks are able to load it. The loading is managed by building a rolling 

 stage of heavy timbers down which the logs can be slid, or up which they are 

 rolled by a donkey engine on to the trucks. Sometimes a dam is built and a pond 

 formed, into which all the logs are dragged and rolled out on to the trucks. In 

 fact there is no end to the ingenuity of the logging contractor in devising mechanical 

 means for handling these great logs, often 4, 5, and 6 feet in diameter, with the least 

 expense and trouble. Many logs which to an inexperienced eye would be thought 

 valuable, are left either because they would cost more than they are worth to get 

 out, or because they are more or less faulty ; and in all cases that I saw, the work is 

 done without the least regard to the younger trees, or to the future. Sometimes 

 half the trees are left standing and as much is left after felling as is taken. The 

 price per 1000 feet at the sawmill is the one governing idea. 



When the logs reach the sawmill they usually go into a pond, from which they 

 are hauled as required up an inclined plane to the saw bench. In the largest and 

 modern mills the band-saw has replaced the gang-saws formerly used, and works 

 at an incredible speed, saving a great deal of wood which was formerly eaten up 

 by the saw. Some of the band-saws are double-edged ; and after taking off the 

 slabs and squaring the log, it is then converted into whatever sized lumber is 

 wanted ; the best quality being cut into vertical grained decking or flooring, 4 to 

 6 inches wide. 



The ingenious arrangements by which everything in these great mills is 

 arranged so as to save manual labour, must be seen to be appreciated. I found 

 many of the men employed were Japanese, who are said to be excellent workmen 

 and to possess both nerve and pluck. 



When the boards are cut, the best are sorted out and sent to the drying kiln 

 where they are dried for four or six days in order to prepare them for planing, 

 tonguing, and grooving ; which is usually done in another part of the same 

 establishment by machinery, before the finished wood is put in cars for transport to 

 the interior. 



Much of it now goes to the middle states, and a great deal to South Africa, China, 

 and Australia ; but whenever very large-sized balks, masts, or piles are wanted, the 

 Puget Sound mills are called on to fill the order, because no others in the world can 

 supply timbers of such great size at so cheap a rate. Logs of 24 inches square and 

 up to 100 feet long are regularly quoted. 



The Douglas Flagstaff, 1 in Kew Gardens, came from Vancouver Island, and was 



1 Ci./ourn. R. Hort. Soc. xiv. 452 (1892). 



