476 SALE OF WOOD. 



advisable to bold mixed sales of timber and firewood wben 

 cbiefly wbolesale mercbants are competing. 



Similar principles underlie tbe formation of sale-lots. Tbe 

 amount of competition and tbe class of traders present will 

 decide tbeir dimensions. Tbe wisbes of tbe public sbould also 

 be so far followed in tins respect, tliat it may be possible for 

 large dealers to purcbase separately tbe assortments wbicb tbeir 

 business requires. Tbese consist cbiefly of tbe better class of 

 stem-timber. Wbere sales are beld to satisfy local demands, 

 only small lots are advisable. 



Wbilst in sales of standing trees, lots may consist of 500 to 

 1,000 and more cubic meters (350 to 700 loads) ; in large 

 regular sales of converted wood tbe lots seldom surpass 30, 50, 

 or at tbe most, 100 cubic meters (20, 35, or 70 loads) : as a 

 rule tbey are even smaller. It is otberwise in extraordinary 

 falls of large numbers of trees, owing to storms, &c. ; in sucb 

 cases tbe size of tbe lots increases witb tbe quantity of material 

 to be disposed of, and tbe capital of tbe competing mercbants. In 

 the sale of wind-fallen timber in tbe Yosges mountains, in 1892, 

 besides smaller lots, large lots of 5,000 and 8,000 cubic meters 

 were formed ; and in tbe case of trees killed by tbe nun- 

 caterpillars in IJavaria, tbe lots attained 10,000 cubic meters. 

 Wbetber, in forming tbe lots, tbe same care sbould be taken as in 

 forming tbe assortments of timber, i.e., tbat tbe same lot sbould 

 only contain tbe same quality of wood, depends on tbe numbers 

 and kind of would-be purchasers present. [In tbe French State 

 forests no lot of standing timber offered for sale should exceed 

 10,000 fr. (£400) in value.— Tr.] 



1). ( 'innJUioiiH of Side. 



It is self-evident tbat burdensome conditions, displeasing to 

 tbe purchasers, will reduce competition, and tbat the sale will be 

 the more profitable tbe less stringent are its conditions. On 

 tbe other band, the security of tbe owner against loss, and the 

 demands of sylviculture, must be ensured. It is difficult to say 

 how far a forester can go in the latter direction without prejudice 

 to tbe interest of the forest owner ; it depends on the state of 

 the market and of ])rices, the solvability of the purchasers, tbe 

 cost of transport, and the actual demands of sylviculture. The 



