J^A^IRT I. 



"FELLING, COLLECTION, CONVERSION, AND 

 DISPOSAL OF WOOD, 



To be able to utilise a wood crop, we mnst first of all understand 

 the technical properties of woods and the requirements of the 

 various industries using wood as a raw product, such as carpentry, 

 joinery, &c. Possessed of this knowledge, we must know how to 

 fell, collect, convert and dispose of the wood. We thus have the 

 following divisions of the subject of this Part : — 

 I. — The technical properties of wood. 

 II. — Wood-using industries. 

 III. — Felling and conversion. 

 IV. — Disposal and sale of wood in the forest. 

 V. — Management of wood depots and timber yards. 



CHAPTER I.— TECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF WOODS. 



The growth and structure of wood have been already studied in 

 detail in the class of vegetable morphology and physiology. There 

 is, therefore, no need to repeat old facts here, even to the slight 

 extent that concerns the present subject. This amount of previous 

 knowledge being assumed, those properties of woods wiU now be 

 studied on which their utility and the manner of their employ- 

 ment depends. These properties are — 



I. — Relative form and size of the main parts of a tree — 

 stems, branches and roots ; 

 II.— Weight ; 

 III. — Hardness ; 

 IV. — Flexibility and elasticity ; 

 V. — Aptitude for fission ; 

 VI.— Strength ; 



VII. — Loss and gain of moisture and consequent contraction 

 and expansion ; seasoning, warping and tendency to 

 split and crack. 

 VIII.— Durability ; 



IX. — Combustibility and heating power ; and 

 X. — Defeats and xmsoundness. 



