286 THE UTILISATION OF WOODLAND PRODUCE. 



The cost of cutting and sorting coppices of 12 to 16 years' 

 growth varies from about 10s. to 15s. per acre according to the 

 thickness of the crop; while the cost of felling, trimming, 

 and logging timber is about Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per load of 50 

 cubic ft. for Conifers and softwoods ; 2s. to 3s. for most hard- 

 woods ; and 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. for Oak and Ash. 



When felled and logged, the logs should be marked serially, 

 while poles and branch-wood should be assorted according to 

 length and size, the smaller stuff stacked in cords for fuel, and 

 the brushwood faggoted. The marking of trees and logs can 

 best be done with a revolving numbering-hammer (Fig. 78). 



Fig. 78. 



Revolving Number ing' Hammer. 



Storage-depdts have to be -formed at convenient places when 

 felled timber cannot be at once removed from the woods. 

 Here the logs should, so far as practicable, be raised above 

 ground on poles or billets of wood, to assist seasoning and 

 prevent damp-rot, and due precautions being used (e.y., barking 

 Conifer logs) to prevent such depots becoming breeding-places 

 for noxious insects. 



In Britain timber is sold by public auction, by tender, or by 

 private contract ; and it may be sold either standing or felled. 

 Where practicable, it is usually best to sell it standing, at fixed 

 rates per cubic ft. for 1st class and 2nd class dimensions (also 

 to be fixed), with a reasonable deduction in case of unsound- 

 ness, the cubic contents of the logs being measured by multi- 

 plying the length in feet by the square of mean quarter-girth 



