326 
TIMBER 
the brands of the class of timber in which they deal. 
Certain letterings are a fair guide to the buyer that he will 
get good material if they emanate from a good firm, but 
only in the same way as he may assume he will get good 
furniture or good clothes from reputable firms. Marks and 
brands on timber are of little guide to the architect, 
inspector, or builder, whose only safe plan is to select the 
material from stock, by doing which he may get as good 
timber out of seconds as by buying firsts in the parcel, and 
at less cost. 
As a general rule Eussian timber is hammer-marked with 
the importer's initials, and some Archangel and other planks 
have red marks at the ends denoting the different qualities ; 
Swedish and Norwegian deals are marked with large red, 
blue, green, or black stencilled letters on their ends, often 
with a crown or cross between ; inferior qualities are 
sometimes not marked at all. Swedish and Finnish Gulf 
deals are now generally imported in first, second, third, 
fourth, and fifth, as well as in an unsorted class, and planed 
goods in three classes, first, second, third, and also in an 
unsorted class. The first and second are joiners' wood; 
the third quality is generally well adapted for engineering 
work. White Sea deals are imported in four qualities, 
St. Petersburg and Eigas generally in three qualities, 
first, second, and third. 
American goods are often branded, and sometimes have 
red marks on the sides or ends to denote quality. 
The method of marking pitch pine, Baltic, and other log 
timber by the Customs measurers on the north-east and 
other ports is as follows :— The length of the log is near 
the centre, the Customs number and cubic contents are 
close together, and nearer the end they are screeved thus : — 
263 ///// 
