326 TIMBER 



the brands of the class of timber in which they deal. 

 Certain letterings are a fair guide to the buyer that he will 

 get good material if they emanate from a good firm, but 

 only in the same way as he may assume he will get good 

 furniture or good clothes from reputable firms. Marks and 

 brands on timber are of little guide to the architect, 

 inspector, or builder, whose only safe plan is to select the 

 material from stock, by doing which he may get as good 

 timber out of seconds as by buying firsts in the parcel, and 

 at less cost. 



As a general rule Kussian timber is hammer-marked with 

 the importer's initials, and some Archangel and other planks 

 have red marks at the ends denoting the different qualities ; 

 Swedish and Norwegian deals are marked with large red, 

 blue, green, or black stencilled letters on their ends, often 

 with a crown or cross between ; inferior qualities are 

 sometimes not marked at all. Swedish and Finnish Gulf 

 deals are now generally imported in first, second, third, 

 fourth, and fifth, as well as in an unsorted class, and planed 

 goods in three classes, first, second, third, and also in an 

 unsorted class. The first and second are joiners' wood ; 

 the third quality is generally well adapted for engineering 

 work. White Sea deals are imported in four qualities, 

 St. Petersburg and Eigas generally in three qualities, 

 first, second, and third. 



American goods are often branded, and sometimes have 

 red marks on the sides or ends to denote quality. 



The method of marking pitch pine, Baltic, and other log 

 timber by the Customs measurers on the north-east and 

 other ports is as follows : The length of the log is near 

 the centre, the Customs number and cubic contents are 

 close together, and nearer the end they are screeved thus : 



