CATALOGUE OF THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 199 



(c) Memel Oak. — ^The timber is similar in all respects to Danzig oak 

 and is derived from the same regions. 



(d) Odessa Oak. — This wood is brought from Volhynia, Kieff, and 

 the southernmost provinces of Russia, and is imported in the same manner 

 in all respects as the Riga and Libau. During later years a very large 

 quantity of high-class oak logs, hewn nearly square, and others, both 

 hewn and sawn into octagonal shapes, have been imported, which have 

 been used for railway-carriage and waggon-building and constructional 

 purposes, as well as to a certain extent for joiners' work. A very large 

 quantity also of wainscots of good size and high-class quality has been 

 regularly imported. The quality of the wood is similar in colour and 

 texture to the other Russian oak, but a Uttle milder and softer, more nearly 

 than the others approaching to the quality of Austrian. 



(e) Riga Oak. — The oak shipped from Riga and Libau is derived from 

 forests in the interior of Russian Baltic provinces and of Russian Poland. 

 It is shipped as wainscot logs or billets, hewn logs (only in small quantities), 

 and logs sawn octagonally, and also, to a hmited extent, as planks, boards, 

 and floorings. The principal trade, however, has been in wainscot billets. 

 About twenty-five or thirty years ago Riga logs were the best obtainable, 

 and realised the highest prices, although their sizes were smaU, the 

 billets each averaging scarcely more than 18 cubic feet. The quality 

 of these old shipments, and especially the Kieff logs, was the highest yet 

 attained. The wood was bright, of uniform colour, close-grained, hard 

 and firm in texture, and very durable. Laslett wrote : " It is charac- 

 teristic of this oak timber that the medullary rays are very numerous 

 and more distinctly marked than is the case with Danzig oak " ; and the 

 same authority says that " it was customary to select the logs into ' Riga,' 

 ' English,' or ' Dutch ' ' crown ' qualities ; or the ' brack ' quality, at 

 prices varjdng with the market rates. In 1875 these prices respectively 

 were 100, 90, 80, and 60 shillings per 18 foot cube, in the order named." 

 Kieff logs from about 1885 to 1890 cost about 120 shillings per 18 feet 

 cube. This method of selection and of selling has long since been 

 abandoned, although the term " crown " applied to the quality is still 

 quoted, though more often than not incorrectly, and the logs are now sold 

 always at so much per foot cube. Although the best modern shipments 

 are not of the former superlative quality, it is doubtful if any other 

 European oak, excepting British, equals this in quality or texture. Riga 

 and Libau wainscot logs do not command so high a price as do Austrian, 

 since their smaller size and mode of conversion involve greater waste. 



The square hewn logs are used for constructional purposes in buildings, 

 for window-sills, and in the making of railway carriages ; while the planks 

 and boards are utiUsed for joinery and floorings. The boards are too 

 often cut from small immature wood or secondary trunks and branches. 



