TIMBEE OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 79 



Now that pitch pine is more difficult to get in long 

 lengths and large scantling, Oregon is being largely im- 

 ported into Great Britain. It has been known as a good, 

 sound timber for many years, but the cost of bringing it 

 across prevented its competing with pitch pine in the 

 English market when that timber was cheap ; but now that 

 the price of pitch pine, indeed timber in general, has 

 advanced so much during the last few years, Oregon has 

 a better chance in the market, and is likely to be used in 

 the future for all purposes for which pitch pine has been 

 used in the past. There is little doubt that in the near 

 future it will be the chief timber used for heavy construc- 

 tion in Great Britain, where long lengths and large scant- 

 lings are required. There are enormous supplies of this 

 timber, and it can be obtained in almost any required 

 length, such as 100 to 120 ft., and up to 20 inches square, 

 and in shorter lengths of larger sizes. The logs are sawn 

 with perfectly square edges to 10, 12, 14, 16, and 20-inch 

 sides ; there is no difficulty in getting them 60 ft. long 

 and 14 to 18 inches square, and the price is about the same 

 as that of pitch pine. Good Oregon is not such a sound, 

 strong timber as good pitch pine ; it is more variable in 

 character, and it is doubtful if it will weather as well we 

 have not had sufficient experience to say. But, as we 

 have said, pitch pine is difficult to get in large sizes, and 

 the Oregon is quite equal to much of the pitch pine now 

 imported. It is of reddish yellow colour, redder than pitch 

 pine, but very like it in general structure, such as annual 

 rings, straightness of grain, etc., so that when logs of the 

 two timbers are lying together it is often difficult to tell 

 one from the other by looking at the surface ; but Oregon 

 has little of that resinous quality so characteristic of pitch 

 pine, and the wood when sawn has a much woollier appear- 

 ance, somewhat resembling Canadian red pine, and in 



