CONCLUDING THE BUSINESS. 307 



as hardwoods ; alder, birch, aspen, spruce, silver-fir, larch, 

 Scotch and Austrian pines as softwoods. 



2. Iici'isioH of the liecord. 



On completion of the Felling-register, or before it is written 

 up from the Range timber receipt-book, the record of the produce 

 of a felling may be revised by a superior forest official. This 

 should be carefully done in the case of valuable timber, but is 

 hardly necessary for firewood. 



3. Payment of tlie Woodmtters. 



As soon as the full statement of the produce from the felling- 

 area has been prepared, there can be no difficulty in settling 

 accounts with the woodcutters ; for by multiplying the 

 contracted rates of pay per unit of produce by the quantity of 

 material, the total amount due to them is easily calculated. 

 Owing, however, to the generally impecunious condition of the 

 men, it is usual from time to time to pay them advances in 

 respect of work done ; these are generally made every fortnight, 

 or weekly. The sums paid should be proportional to the work 

 done by the men, which can always be roughly calculated. In 

 order to prevent the risk of over-payment and keep the men 

 at the work, about one quarter of their earnings is kejjt back 

 till the whole work is done ; the balance is then paid to the men 

 after deducting all their advances from the total amount due 

 for the work. 



It is generally the duty of the foreman to draw the payment 

 from the forest cashier, and distribute it among the different 

 parties of woodcutters. Wherever the work has been given 

 to a contractor, he will naturally be paid for it in full. 



To attempt to pay ready money for the whole work during 

 its progress, as portions of the wood are felled, converted and 

 placed in the depot, is only to introduce complications and 

 unnecessary trouble into the business. 



X 2 



