THE NEW FORESTRY. 1 83 



long and about ten inches by six inches, a price can be got 

 sometimes exceeding the price of a whole tree, sold standing, 

 that might probably contain several such pieces of timber. 

 The same remarks apply to the other timbers required for the 

 frame work of waggons, and also to good butts of sycamore, 

 ash, and beech, etc. In short, the home saw- mill .could cut 

 up a great variety of materials in constant demand by different 

 trades. The disadvantage would be, on most estates, that the 

 supply would not be regular, and orders could not be always 

 .accepted to suit purchasers. A partly idle saw-mill is not a 

 profitable concern, and such workshops require trained men, 

 and come within the scope of the Workmen's Compensation 

 Act Where water-power can be had, a saw-mill for ordinary 

 •estate purposes does not cost a great deal, but to be of suffi- 

 cient capacity for general purposes the plant would have to be 

 on a scale such as few private estates could profitably maintain. 



SECTION II. — TRANSPORT OF TIMBER. 



In regard to this subject it need only be stated that horse 

 labour is the most expensive method by far of hauling timber. 

 Traction engines can be employed on almost any wood road 

 or drive, provided the wheels are about two-and-a-half feet 

 broad, and the engines do not much exceed ten tons, and they 

 are much cheaper than horses where much work has to be 

 done. Fifty per cent, or more is said to have been saved by 

 their use. Tramways are cheaper still when the timber has to 

 be transported a good distance, and are much employed in the 

 ■colonies. 



