TIMBER. 



is, in common, the moft advifeable to be had recourfe to ; in 

 which cafe, an accurate valuation of the marked trees is to 

 be made, before they are offered for fale : and, in the cafe 

 of oak timber-wood, it is moftly proper, and always fatif- 

 faftory, to have feparate valuations of the timber and the 

 bark. 



In felling timber in the county of Norfolk, the prevailing 

 praftice is, according to the writer of tlit- rural economy 

 of that diltriCf , to fell it (landing, at fo much a ton when 

 fallen ; meafuring the timber down to fix inciies timber 

 girt ; the topwood and the bark (of oak) becoming the pro- 

 perty of the purchafer ; who is ufually at tlie expence of 

 taking it down. And it is cuftomary there, too, for the 

 purchafer to difpofe of the bark (of oak), and fometimes the 

 topwood, by the fame admeafurement. 



In the midland diilrifts, after difpofuig of and cutting out 

 the timber, the arms or boughs of the trees are cut up into 

 pofts, rails, and cord-wood for charcoal ; the fpray being 

 moftly made up into faggots. 



The relative value of different forts of timber may be faid 

 to depend almoft wholly upon local circumflances, as thofe 

 of contiguity and facility of being taken to the places 

 where they are the moft largely made ufe of, or where only 

 employed. Some forts are, however, every where valuable 

 on account of either their general application, or their 

 fcarcity, fuch as the oak, the afti, the elm, the beech, and 

 the ftill more valuable larch, and others of the firft defcrip- 

 tion : and of the latter, the common chefnut, tlie yew, the 

 box, and the holly. The light produfts of different kinds, 

 afforded by fome timber-trees, are alfo of great ufe and value 

 in moft places. 



Hunter, in his " Evelyn's Sylva," has juftly remarked, 

 that every perfon who can meafure timber, thinks himfelf 

 qualified to value ftanding trees ; but that fuch men are 

 often deceived in their eilimates. That it is the perfeft 

 knowledge of the application of the different fhaped trees 

 that enables a man to be correS in fuch valuations. That 

 a foot of wood may be of little importance to one trade, 

 but of great value to another. This is the grand fecret, it 

 is thought, which enriches the purchafers of ftanding timber. 



On the whole, the great and couftant demand for timber, 

 on account of the increafing fcarcity of it, fliould induce 

 the proprietors of lands which are proper and iuitable for 

 it, to attend as much as pofTible to the raifmg and providing 

 of this great objefl of rural economy, and national as v.'ell as 

 individual wealth. 



Timber, Hardening of. See Hardening of Timber, and 

 Seafoning o/' Timber. 



Timber, Seafoning of, a term ufed to exprefs the pre- 

 paring of timber after it is felled, for cutting and v/orking 

 up for ufe. 



As foon as felled, it fhould be laid up in fome dry airy 

 place, but out of the reach of too much wind or fun, v.'hich, 

 when in excefs, will fubjeft it to crack and fly. It is not 

 to be fet upright, but laid along, one tree upon another, only 

 with fome (hort blocks between, to give it the better airing, 

 and prevent its becoming mouldy, which will rot the 

 furface, and produce mulhrooms on it. Some perfons 

 daub the trees all over with cow-dung, which occafions their 

 drying equally, and prevents their cracking, as they are 

 otherwife tery apt to do. 



Some recommend the biu^ying of timber in the earth, as 

 the beft of all ways of feafoning it ; and others have found it 

 a fine prcfcrvativc to bury their timber under the wheat in 

 their granai'ies ; but this cannot be made a general praAicc. 



In Norway, they fcafon their deal planks, by laying them 



in falt-vvater for three or four days, when new favved, and 

 then drying them in the fun ; this is found a great advan- 

 tage to them ; but neither this, nor any thing clle, can pre- 

 vent their (lirinking. And it has been recommended to lay 

 boards, planks, &c. in fome pool or running ftream for a 

 few days, to extraiil the fap from them, and afterwards to 

 dry them in the fun or air ; by this means, it is faid, they 

 will be prefcrved from chopping, cafting, or cleaving ; but 

 againft (hrinking there is no remedy. Mr. Evelyn par- 

 ticularly recommends this method for fir. Sec Hardbniku 

 of limber. 



The feafoning of timber by fire is the beft way of all, for 

 piles and other pieces that arc to ftand under the earth, or 

 water. The Venetians firft found out this method, and the 

 way by which they do it is this : they put the piece to be 

 feafoned into a ftrong and violent flame ; in this they con- 

 tinually turn it round by means of an engine, and take it 

 out when it is every way covered with a black coaly cruft ; 

 by this means the internal part of the wood is fo hardened, 

 that neither earth nor water can damage it for a long lime 

 afterwards. This method is praftifed in many places for 

 feafoning the pofts for paUng of parks, &c. and has this 

 to recommend it, that in the very oldeft ruins we have ever 

 been acquainted with, there have been difcovered many times 

 pieces of charcoal, all of which have been found uninjured, 

 though buried in the earth for ever fo many ages. This 

 method of charring timber is praftifed in many parts of 

 England, and has been much recommended, both as to 

 economy and effeiS;. 



For this purpofe, all that is neceffary is to light a fire upon 

 the ground, which fhall be furroundcd with a wall built with 

 loofe bricks or ftones, and then, when the pieces of timber are 

 laid acrofs the walls, to turn them round carefully fo as to 

 prefent every part to the aftion of the fire in fucceflion ; 

 and when the whole furface, to the depth of three quarters 

 of an inch or an inch, is converted to charcoal, they will be 

 fufficiently prepared. While burning, they fhould have a 

 temporary covering of boughs or other fuel to preferve 

 them from the aftion of the atmofphere, which would be 

 apt to convert part of the wood into afties. See Parkes's 

 Eflays, vol. ii. See alfo Charring of Pofls. 



An ingenious friend of the editor objefts to this praftice. 

 The opinion that paint is a prefervativc of wood is almofl 

 univerfal. Neverthelefs, we ftiall fhew it to be not only erro- 

 neous, but that in moft cafes the ufe of paint accelerates the 

 deftruftion of every fpecies of wood to wliich it is applied. 



The decay of wood is occafioned by internal, not external 

 moifture, and this only when it becomes ftagnant. As long 

 as there is a free circulation, no decay takes place. Stop 

 the circulation, and if there be any moifture whatever in the 

 v/ood, ftagnation commences, putrefcence enfues, and the 

 deftruftion will proceed with an aftivity in proportion to 

 the quantity and clofe confinement of the internal moifture. 

 When wood is thoroughly painted on every fide, it is evident 

 that the moifture within it is completely fealed up, and 

 which necefTarily becoming ftagnant, the decompofition and 

 decay of tlie timber immediately commence. Hence it is 

 clear, that painting of wood, as above ftated, in every cafe, 

 except only when it is entirely free from moifture, or as it 

 is called thoroughly feafoned, muft be as efteftual a method as 

 any that can be deviled for accelerating its decay. 



Wood that is painted only on one fide, will, ceteris pa- 

 ribus, laft as long again as that which is painted on both 

 fides. And that which is not painted at all will be mofl 

 durable. Experiment will prove this to be the faft, whether 

 the wood is cxpofed to the weather or not. 



It 



