330 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [chap. 



plank and board so profitably as the Dantzic and some 

 other Firs. With this exception it is a very valuable 

 wood, and is in great request for architectural works of 

 every description ; indeed, we find it used for nearly 

 every purpose where light materials are required. 



After the felling of this timber, it passes through the 

 process of selecting and sorting over, the same as pre- 

 vails in the Polish and Prussian forests and shipping 

 ports, with a view to bring out the best pieces for masts, 

 and the coarsest for railway sleepers. The logs of the 

 intermediate class, when hewn into squares, yield dimen- 

 sions of about 1 1 to 14 inches on the side, and from 20 

 to 45 feet in length. This timber is seldom classified as 

 best, good, or common middling, but is placed upon the 

 market unsorted, and without any particular distinguish- 

 ing brand upon it. 



The selected spars generally come to us in a round 

 state, under the name of Hand-masts. These are classed 

 by the brackers at Riga alphabetically A to N, accord- 

 ing to their size, the smallest being A, or 6 hands ; that is 

 to say, it measures six hands of 4 inches each, or 24 

 inches in circumference, taken at 4 feet in length from 

 the butt-end of the spar: the largest being N, or 18 

 hands, or 72 inches in circumference. The lengths of 

 these two sizes are respectively 36 and 74 feet. The 

 following very plain rule prevails by which the estab- 

 lished length to the number of hands is calculated, viz., 

 rough spars for masts, of 6 to gj^ hands, the number of 

 hands multipUed by 3, and 18 added, gives the length in 

 feet; and spars of 10 to 18 hands, multiplied by 3, 

 and 20 added, gives the length in feet ; there being a 

 small proportional increase of length required for vessels 

 carrying the larger sizes. 



