EUROPEAN TIMBEK 3:} 



might apply. Dr. Smith says that natural-grown Scotch 

 pine the same class of timber after 300 years in the roof 

 of an old castle was as fresh and full of sap as new wood 

 imported from Memel, and that part of it was wrought up 

 into furniture. There is probably less loss in the conver- 

 sion of Baltic redwood into small sizes than any other 

 timber in general use ; it is generally sound throughout. 

 As regards strength and durability it is only surpassed 

 amongst the coniferous woods by pitch pine, and is suitable 

 for indoor or outdoor work. Used for joists, roof timbers, 

 doors, window frames in good building, and general joinery, 

 it was formerly the chief timber used for heavy construc- 

 tion and piling work of quays in Great Britain, and is still 

 largely used for this purpose, especially for decking. Some 

 of the best deals come from Archangel and other ports on 

 the White Sea, and command the highest price in the 

 market. Good deals also come from St. Petersburg and 

 Finnish ports and the more northern of the Swedish ports, 

 being of finer grain, more free from sap, harder and more 

 durable than those from the southern Baltic ports. The 

 Norwegian timber is small, seldom more than 9 or 10 inches, 

 roughly squared, and 30 to 35 ft. long, and the chief trade 

 with Norway is in planed wood of rather narrow widths. 



Baltic redwood should be hard and dry to the touch, 

 should not leave a woolly surface after the saw, or fill its 

 teeth with resin ; the annual rings should be fairly close 

 timber with less than ten to the inch, a few inches out from 

 the heart, is objectionable and twenty rings per inch are 

 not uncommon in the outer portions of logs. The shavings 

 from this timber and the same applies to whitewood 

 are a good test of its quality ; in good timber they will bear 

 twisting several times round the fingers without cracking, 

 whilst those from timber of poor quality come off short and 

 brittle. A large trade is done in pit props, telegraph poles, 



T. D 



