402 \vatkii-ti:ansih)1it. 



(b) Nature of the Wood to be Floated. — Saw-mill butts aiul tlio 

 better kinds of firewood (split billets, and large round pieces) are 

 floated. [In India also railway-sleepers and other scantling. — 

 Tr,] The butts are first barked and trimmed free from knots 

 and stumps of branches, and frequently rounded at both ends to 

 guard against splitting. Firewood and charcoal-wood is either 

 floated in round butts (twice the length of the ordinary billets) 

 which are sawn and split into billets after landing at the booms, 

 or in split billets. 



Whether it is preferable to float butts or split billets, depends 

 on circumstances ; butts require a stronger current, but are less 

 liable to breakage by boulders, &c. in a floating-channel, than 

 billets, 'svhich require improved channels with a moderate 

 current. It is evident that light coniferous butts are more 

 easily floated than broad-leaved ones ; also, wherever carbonisa- 

 tion is effected with round pieces, as in the Alps, they must be 

 floated in that form. Butts for saw-mills require stronger water 

 than firewood, lengths of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) being 

 most suitable, although in Sweden, butts are floated up to a 

 length of 7 meters ('23 feet). It is often difficult to float heavy 

 butts, especially of silver-fir, unless they have been previously 

 dried. 



The most important operation, before floating is undertaken, 

 is that of drying the wood, for the amount of water-logged wood 

 varies inversely with the comparative dryness of the wood when 

 launched. Wood felled in the growing season dries more quickly 

 than winter-felled wood, and is therefore more easily floated. 

 It is indispensable to thoroughly dry the butts which are to be 

 floated for long distances. 



It is especially requisite, from a consideration for the quality 

 of the wood, that butts felled and barked in the summer should 

 immediately after felling be removed from the felling-areas, 

 and deposited in airy depots, in order to become thoroughly 

 dried. If, then, during winter wood is brought to the side 

 of the floating-channel, not only does the drying process 

 improve its quality, but also facilitates the operation of 

 floating. 



(c) Conservancy of the Floating-Channel. — Before the wood is 

 thrown into the floating-channel, a thorough knowledge should 



