124 



TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. 



[chap. 



to be satisfactory, a contract was soon after made with 

 a London merchant for a supply to the several dock- 

 yards in England. 



French Oak, until about the time I am speaking 

 of, was looked upon with some disfavour in this country,, 

 and thought to be generally inferior in quality to the 

 British Oak; but this opinion was probably formed 

 from very unfavourable specimens, there being certain 

 localities in France, as there are in most other countries,, 

 where the trees do not attain any degree of excellence, 



FIG. 2oi. 



and also from the fact that the best timber had been, 

 first selected and retained by the French Government. 



Figs. 2oa and 2o3 show the method of hewing the 

 French Oak, whereby all the square wood that could be 

 obtained is preserved, by simply following the natural 

 taper or growth of tree, and, by so doing, there can be 

 little, if any, disadvantage, since, the measurements 

 being taken, as in English timber, at the middle, or half" 

 the length of the log, the buyer would receive and pay 

 for the correct quantity contained in it. 



French Oak is equal to the English in point of 

 durability, and there is yet to be carried to its credit 

 the fact that experiments prove it to be equally strong,. 



