32 
TIMBER 
trade of Norway and Sweden than she did eight or ten 
years ago. 
The chief timbers used in the building trade of Europe 
are known as Baltic redwood and Baltic whitewood, although, 
as will be seen from the above remarks, the name has a 
much wider signification now than when the timber was 
shipped from only three or four ports in the Baltic, 
Baltic Redwood is the timber of the northern pine {Pinus 
sylvestris), Fig. 7, or what is incorrectly called Scotch fir. 
The tree in the more northern regions attains a height of 
80 ft. at 150 or 200 years old, and gets rid of its branches 
to a height of over 30 ft. above ground level. It is 
imported from the old ports of Memel, Dantzic, and 
Eiga, in hewn logs, and from these and numerous other 
ports on the coasts of the Baltic Sea and Finnish Gulf, as 
well as from the White Sea, in planks, deals, and battens. 
The logs are not sawn, but are dressed with the axe almost 
perfectly square ; there is a slight camber on the sides to 
allow the water to drain off. The timber in the log 
generally goes by the old name of Memel or Baltic, and a 
very excellent quality is now coming from Windau, and 
can be had in lengths of 35 to 40 ft. and about 12 inches 
square. The cut timber is known as " yellow deal" in the 
London market. The name redwood is doubtless derived 
from the reddish tinge in the whitish yellow coloured wood, 
and which is more noticeable when the timber is wet. 
Some of the more northern and hill-grown wood is redder 
in colour and more resinous, and this colour is liked best 
for outdoor work. The timber is even and straight in 
grain ; tough, moderately hard, easily worked and durable. 
Brindley, the old English engineer, said that " Bed Riga 
deal or pine wood would endure as long as oak in all 
situations," but this is doubtful; in protected situations it 
